


You Could Drive a Person Crazy

by GinnyK, westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-02-02
Updated: 2005-02-02
Packaged: 2019-05-31 04:21:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 67,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15111695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GinnyK/pseuds/GinnyK, https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: CJ and Leo, Alternate Universe





	1. You Could Drive a Person Crazy

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

**You Could Drive a Person Crazy**

**by: Ginny and Becky**

**Pairing(s):** CJ/Leo  
**Category(s):** Alternate Universe  
**Rating:** MATURE  
**Disclaimer:** The usual, not mine etc.  
**Summary:** CJ and Leo, Alternate Universe  
**Feedback:** Feedback is appreciated.  


Part 1 

It was Malibu in the spring, overlooking the ocean. A fundraiser at a beach house. The sun had dipped beneath the horizon, setting into the waves far out to sea, and the sky literally glowed with the fading radiance of the evening sun. Japanese lanterns decorated the huge patio, and people milled around everywhere. 

They had to be the most absolutely boring thing in the world, these fundraisers. Cozying up to the people you wanted to pump for money, and pretending to give a damn about what they were saying. 

Leo McGarry, the Secretary of Labor, just happened to have been in California, meeting with the mayor of Los Angeles on something, and had been invited. Sure, he had $50,000 to drop at a second's notice, but still... 

He'd been sure to have two vodka martinis -- with extra olives -- and two Valium before he left the hotel, though, otherwise he'd never be the painfully charming Leo everyone knew. 

And now, he was sipping his second goblet of wine. 

He stared out at the horizon, contemplating the glass in his hand. He could hear his wife's voice echoing in his head---Another glass, haven't you had enough...why didn't you call...Jed called, he's worried about you again...Leo I can't do this anymore. 

He had wanted her to come to California with him but Jenny had refused, so he came alone. He was spending a lot of time alone lately, alone in bars, alone in hotels rooms, alone in his office. 

He stared at the glass in his hand; tipping his head back he drained it and turned to grab another from one of the many strolling waiters. As he reached for the last glass on the tray another hand did the same. 

He glanced up -- *way* up -- and into a woman's face. The first thing he noticed was her eyes, then the embarrassed smile as she released her grip on the goblet. "I'll just get another one later -- you need one more than me, after talking to Martin Sheen," the woman apologized, laughing a little. 

"Thanks," Leo said, wondering just who this enigma in front of him was. "I'm Leo McGarry." 

"The Secretary of Labor?" she asked, clearly impressed. "Andi said you would be here, but..." 

"Andi?" 

"Andrea Wyatt. The one we're here for. She's trying to get enough money to make a real stand in the Congressional election. EMILY's List stepped in with some cash, but what she really needs is a couple more of these." The woman laughed wryly and grabbed a wine goblet as another waiter passed. "I'm CJ Cregg, with EMILY's List. I'm also Andrea Wyatt's publicist." She extended her hand out to him, and he shook it, marveling at how soft it was. 

"It's nice to meet you, CJ." 

"Nice to meet you too, Leo" said CJ as she waved to someone who was on the other side of the patio. Leo watched her as she greeted the man walking towards them. He was not real tall, balding with a beard and a completely grumpy look on his face. CJ took him by the arm and introduced him to Leo. 

"Leo McGarry, this is Toby Ziegler, Andrea Wyatt's husband" said CJ as the men shook hands and exchanged pleasantries. 

Leo watched as CJ turned to greet yet more people. He turned to say something more to Toby but Toby was already headed for the bar. Leo just shook his head at the whole scene. The whole smoozing thing was an art form he hadn't taken the time to perfect. And now was one of the times he wished he had perfected it. He moved off to the side and watched as CJ worked the room. A few times he caught her casting a glance back at him. He just smiled and winked. 

She would blush and get a little smile on her lips and go back to what she was doing. He didn't know if this was a good sign or not. 

He could feel a pull of attraction to her, but he couldn't tell if it was just him, or... was the alcohol making him fuzzy, imagining that she was looking back at him? 

She was talking to Warren Beatty and Annette Benning when Jack Nicholson came up and slapped her on the backside. She smiled icily and said something, carefully removing his hand from her backside, and excused herself, walking away without paying attention, directly into the swimming pool. 

Leo tossed his wine glass into the bushes and dashed over to the pool. He extended a hand to CJ, who took it gratefully. Most people were too busy pointed and snickering to bother offering her some help. Her long cream colored dress was obviously clinging to her and in all the right places, mused Leo to himself. He took off his jacket and handed it to her. Leading her by the elbow he steered them off the patio and around the side of the house. 

She was practically in tears when they stopped beneath an arbor, covered in roses. "CJ, are you all right?" he asked, holding her by the shoulders. 

"No!" she cried, crying even more. "I'm supposed to be a consummate professional, and I just walked into a swimming pool in front of the most elite of Hollywood actors, producers, and writers! I... how am I going to come back to work in the morning?" 

"By knowing that you picked up a few votes by wearing what you're currently soaked in," he pointed out wryly. 

She pulled back away from him and glared. "Okay, that's the last time I even think about politics. I quit! I swear to God above, I quit!" she said, storming off. He followed her, as she muttered about how she was going to climb into the driver's seat of her $80,000 Lexus and ruin the upholstery. She put the key in the lock and was rewarded with the car alarm going off. "GODDAMMIT ALL TO FUCKING HELL!" she yelled, kicking the door and turning around to face none other than Leo. "What do you want?" 

"You look like you could use a ride," he said mildly, taking her keys and turning off the alarm. 

"And your point?" 

"I have a limo that the Labor Department rented -- how about you let Congress pay the bill for new upholstery?" He smiled a little, and was rewarded by a relieved look in her eyes. 

"Okay, I think... I can get a cab back up here tomorrow and pick up my car," she exhaled, becoming measurably calmer. "I live in LA, up in the Hills." 

"What street?" 

"Vieretta Lane." 

"Okay, not a problem," he said with a smile. "I have to go back to the Beverly Hills Hotel, anyway." 

"You seem awfully anxious to get away from this thing," she commented as he walked her over to the limo and tucked her away. 

"Well, I am. Schmoozing isn't my thing. And neither is watching tall wet women go home without helping." He gave the driver instructions, and they sat back for the hour and a half drive -- more if there was traffic. "So, how did you take this job?" 

"Which one?" She laughed bitterly. 

"Either." 

"Well, I've been working with EMILY's List for about two years, and before that, I was in publicity and public relations, so... Andi saw that on my resume and hired me on the spot." She shrugged. "And how did you get to be the Secretary of Labor?" 

"Good luck and lots of bribes," he muttered. 

"Ah, yes, the consummate politician's trick," she laughed, leaning a little closer. "Thank you for giving me a ride." 

"It's not a problem," he replied, biting the inside of his cheek, trying not to show what kind of an effect she was having on him by being so close. 

"You're staring at me," she accused with a smile. 

"Well, you're very attractive." 

"You've got to be kidding, right? Me?" She snorted and ran her fingers through her wet, stringy hair. "Me, the six foot tall wet girl in Anne Klein?" 

"Yes." 

She looked back at him and saw that he was being completely serious, and her mouth went dry. She blinked and finally said, "You've very handsome, yourself." 

"Thank you." He leaned closer and, taking a chance, kissed her very softly, very gently. 

The kiss took both of them by surprise. CJ absently reached over to grab his left hand. Her fingers brushed over the gold band on his ring finger and she broke the kiss quickly, glancing down at their entwined fingers. Leo's gaze followed hers to their hands. She ran her thumb over the worn ring. Together they looked up and stared at each other in awkward silence. 

"I'm sorry, I, uh, had no idea" stammered CJ as she withdrew her hand from his. 

"It's not your fault, I kissed you, remember?" sighed Leo. 

Almost unconsciously they moved a little further apart in the seat. They both thought a little room between them would be a good idea. 

"So, I take it your, uh, wife..." said CJ. 

"Jenny" 

"Oh, Jenny. She didn't make the trip with you?" asked CJ as she sat shivering next to Leo. 

"No" replied Leo as he fidgeted with his suspenders, wondering what was in the mini fridge across from him. 

She nodded. "I... um... take it you two aren't exactly happy?" She licked her lips and fidgeted with a wrinkle in the skirt of her dress. 

"Right now... not so much," he replied honestly. "It's complicated." 

"I bet, with you being an advisor to President Shepherd and everything," CJ said, a little sarcasm popping through. 

"It's not just that, it's..." Leo hesitated, afraid to say that Jenny thought he was an alcoholic, lest the words give it power. Or a drug abuser. 

"It's everything, right? And you thought you could use me, the awkward tall wet woman, to assuage that and give you comfort during the long lonely night in your hotel room, right?" She was going from angry to furious. "How dare you." 

"Okay, let me point out one thing... we're not going to my hotel, and you kissed me back." He popped open the mini-fridge and pulled out a little bottle of vodka, then thought better of it and put it back. He could taste the heat of the liquor, even though it was all in his mind, but he wanted to have this discussion as little impaired as possible. 

"That's two things," she said coldly, edging away. 

"And it wasn't like you said, either." 

"What, you really felt something for me?" she taunted, never looking at him, afraid to even look at him. 

"Yes." It was soft, and he didn't realize he had actually said it. 

CJ turned her head slowly towards him and stared. 

"What?" she asked in her best sarcastic tone. 

"Oh, you heard me just fine. What, no witty come back?" said Leo through clenched teeth. 

He leaned over to the fridge again and took out the bottle of vodka. He downed it in a single gulp and threw the empty bottle on the seat across from them. 

She stared at him for a long time, then shook her head. "I... I can't believe that." 

"Why not? Because I'm married, I can't appreciate another woman?" 

"Precisely. You should only have eyes for your wife." She crossed her arms and stared out the window. 

"I haven't had 'eyes' for Jenny, as you put it, for a long time," he muttered. 

CJ didn't quite know how to react to that statement. On one hand she was attracted to Leo but on the other hand he had a wife, plain and simple, he was unavailable. But there was just something about him, something about the pain and loneliness in his eyes that just made her want to take him into her arms and comfort him. 

"So, what's the problem? Between you and Jenny, I mean" asked CJ, still staring out the window. 

"Like I said, things are complicated. Jenny and my daughter, they think...." 

"Wait, you have kids too?" asked CJ 

"Yeah, Mallory she's 25. She's a school teacher" replied Leo. 

"Oh" 

"They think I have a problem with alcohol" whispered Leo. 

"Well, do you?" asked CJ 

"I don't know." It was plainly that simple. If he did, he didn't know it. Not for sure, anyway. He hadn't hit bottom, and hoped he never would. 

"Well, don't you think you should try to find out? I mean, I saw you have five goblets of wine tonight, and that thing of whatever just a few minutes ago. Can you stop drinking if you try, for one day?" she asked softly. 

"I don't know. I haven't tried." 

"Will you?" 

"Will I what?" 

"Try." 

He sighed. "It's not that simple." 

"No, it is just that simple. 

One day should be enough." She took his hand in hers. "Come see me tomorrow night, and... if you haven't, well, I mean..." She blushed, unable to finish what she was trying to say. 

"I have to leave for Washington in the morning." 

"Oh, well, then I guess that won't...uh, maybe you could call me" said CJ, trying not to sound too hopeful. 

"Yeah, I'd like that" said Leo with a small smile. 

CJ reached into her bag and took out her card and a pen. On the back of the card she put her home number. She pressed it into Leo's hand. He stared at it for a minute and put it in his wallet. 

The rest of the trip was spent alternating between awkward silence and forced conversation. They shared very few personal details, focusing instead on their jobs and politics in general. 

But something hung in the air between them, something that was almost indescribable. 

When they drove up the hill to her house, she was almost relieved to have sitting beside him over. But that was before he kissed the back of her hand. 

"Do you... want to come in and have a drink of water or something?" she asked. 

"I'd like that," he answered softly. 

They never did have that drink. They made it to the couch and stayed there all night long, making love, cuddling, whispering truths and half-truths about their lives to each other. 

It was vaguely comforting. 

That was, until the light of day. 

Leo woke first. He grabbed as many articles of his clothing as he could find and went to the bathroom. He stood in front of the mirror and stared at his reflection. He stared as if he didn't recognize the face staring back at him. He had never before, not in all the years of their marriage, cheated on Jenny. Sure, there had been plenty of opportunities through the years but he had never acted on them. And it was something he had been strangely proud of. 

He backed up to sit on the edge of the tub. Putting his head in his hands he sobbed. After a few minutes he started the shower and stepped in, trying to wash away the guilt he felt. The worst part was the fact that he was actually surprised at the way he felt. He had been telling himself that things were over with Jenny for a long time. But his guilty feelings told him otherwise. 

When he came out of the shower, CJ was standing there in a plaid robe, holding a mug of coffee out to him. "You probably want to go now," she said, turning her back on him, determined not to let him see her cry. 

She had had one night stands before, but this felt different. This was someone she could care about, not just use and discard. Scratch that -- this was someone she did care about, all of a sudden. 

"Look, it's..." 

"Complicated. I know. It always is. Go home to your wife and tell her you love her," she said, wiping away the lone tear that trickled down her cheek. "I'm sorry it took me for you to figure out you really do love her more than you thought." 

He put his hand on her shoulder. "I'm not," he said quietly. "You are a beautiful woman, CJ Cregg. And you are brilliant, funny, smart... you're going to find someone soon who will be able to..." he broke off with a growl of frustration. He couldn't stand how he felt for her. Couldn't stand how he felt for Jenny. Couldn't understand why he was caught between them. 

"If Andi gets elected, I'll be coming to Washington," CJ interjected. "And you don't need to worry about me telling anyone about this. EVER. I know how much it would hurt you politically." 

"Thank you" whispered Leo as he gathered the rest of his things and finished the coffee. 

He left the apartment in silence; never looking back towards the door. Something that CJ was grateful for, she didn't need to have him see her cry. 

The plane ride home was pure torture for Leo. He was exhausted but couldn't sleep, he tried to work but his mind kept wandering and most of all he wanted a drink. But he made it through flight without one. He couldn't remember the last time that had happened; usually he was on his third drink by the time the plane began to taxi down the runway. He even made it past the airport bars without stopping. He decided the best thing to do would be to throw himself right into his work. The car dropped him off at the office without stopping at home first. 

Margaret was sitting at her desk outside his office when he came in. "Leo! I thought you were going to..." 

"Change of plans," he growled, going into his office and slamming the door shut behind him. 

Margaret just stared after him, wondering what had gotten his boxers in a twist. But then, she stopped short and reminded herself that she'd seen him act like this before -- usually after he and Jenny fought and he went out, got drunk, and spent the night looking at beautiful women. And she had to go pick him up and drive him home. It really was a thankless job, but his thanks was all she needed. 

But this time, there was something different about his attitude. It was almost like, this time... 

No, she thought, sitting back down to answer the phone, no, he wouldn't cheat on Jenny. Not after all they've been through together. 

She got off the phone quickly and poured a cup of coffee for Leo. Grabbing his schedule and a couple of Advil from her desk drawer she quietly went into his office. 

Leo was reading and didn't look up when she came in. She sat down in the chair across from the desk and coughed softly. 

"Margaret, I saw you come in, what do you want?" growled Leo. 

"OK, I can see how this day is going to be...." muttered Margaret. 

"MARGARET, what?" asked Leo quickly losing what little patience he had left. 

"Here's your schedule, coffee and a couple of Advil. Let me know if you need anything else." replied Margaret. 

She stood up and walked towards the door, slowly. 

"Margaret, I'm sorry. I'm just tired and crabby from the time difference." said Leo softly. 

"It's OK. By the way, Jed called a little while ago. He wants you to call him back when you get a chance" Margaret said over her shoulder. 

"Thanks" 

Leo sat back down and sighed. He was positive that Margaret could see right through him. He figured he might as well pin a letter to his chest. Running his fingers through his hair he reached for the phone to call his best friend. 

"Governor Bartlet's office," came the gruff voice of Delores Landingham. 

"Hello, Mrs. Landingham, it's Leo McGarry -- does he have a few minutes?" 

"Why yes, Leo, I'll put you right through. By the way, when are you going to come up here for a visit?" 

"Whenever I can make the time, Mrs. Landingham." 

"Okay -- I'm putting you through now." 

"Thank you." 

"Have a nice day, Leo." 

*Yeah, sure, have a nice day. I just cheated on my wife and...* 

"Leo, nice of you to call back," Jed commented dryly. "Margaret said you were more than a tad snarky this morning." 

"It's not morning, it's like 3 in the afternoon." 

"Yeah, I see what she meant... How was California?" 

"It was California." 

"Leo..." 

"What?" 

"What's wrong?" 

"What makes you think something is wrong?" 

"You're not your usual chipper self, which means you haven't had anything to drink today. Which makes me believe that something is terribly, TERRIBLY wrong. Talk to me." 

Leo sighed. "You have to swear... swear you won't tell anyone." 

"I promise, Leo." 

"EVER." 

"Ever." 

Leo took a deep breath, then said in a rush, "I met someone last night at this fundraiser for Andrea Wyatt, and..." 

"And?" 

"I cheated on Jenny. But Jed, she's brilliant and... beautiful, and funny and... " 

"Were you drunk?" 

"Not anymore than usual." 

"Were you deranged?" 

"NO!" 

"Insane?" 

"No." 

"THEN WHY?!" 

Leo could practically feel Jed's voice vibrating through the phone as he yelled. And of the course that yelling only further increased the pounding in his head. 

"I don't know" whispered Leo, "It just happened. It was an accident" 

"It just happened. You accidentally slept with someone other than your wife. What does accidentally mean, did you trip over something?" growled Jed as he tried to remain in control. 

"Jed, please...I feel bad enough already" whined Leo. 

"Do you, do you really feel bad about what you did?" asked Jed. 

"Yes" whispered Leo. 

Margaret entered Leo's office quietly. 

"President Shepherd is on the other line" 

Leo nodded. 

"Look, I have to go, the President is on the phone. I'll talk to you later." 

"Oh, you can be sure of that, my friend" said Jed as he all but slammed down the phone. 

~~~~ 

"Did you have a nice ride home?" Andi inquired, cautiously playing with the paperweight on CJ's desk. 

"Did you have a nice rest of the time at the party?" CJ inquired, taking the paperweight out of Andi's hands. "If you have something to say to me, just say it." 

"Fine -- did you sleep with Leo McGarry?" 

"No." 

"Okay. I was just wondering, because it would make things that much more difficult. For both of us." Andi sighed. "Toby wants me to institute a policy change on the environment." 

"What kind of a change?" CJ asked, relieved to have the subject changed. 

"He wants me to take a firmer stand on pollution standards. Is that...?" 

"That would alienate some of your constituents, but overall, it would be great," CJ said. "Want me to pull together a memo on it?" 

"Yes, please... are you okay?" 

"Huh?" 

"Are you okay? You just don't look very well." 

"I'm fine." 

"Okay -- I'll see you tomorrow, then." 

"Or sooner, depending how many more fuck-ups your husband gets me into," CJ teased with a depreciative laugh. 

CJ watched as Andi left the room, shutting the door behind her. 

"Kill me now" moaned CJ as her head hit the desk. 

She spent the rest of the day on auto-pilot. She thought frequently about Leo and the night they had spent together. She wondered if he had made good on his promise not to drink for the day. Somehow she doubted he would make it through the entire day. 

And she was right. 

~~~~~~~~~~ 

Leo arrived home a little before 8, early for him. Jenny was out to dinner with friends. He showered and changed into jeans and a sweatshirt. He grabbed the Times and a pen out of his briefcase. Without even thinking he took a beer out of the fridge and went to the den to sit and do the crossword puzzle. He was more than halfway through the beer when he realized what he was doing. More disturbing to him than the fact that he hadn't made it through an entire day was the fact that he drank without even realizing it. It was utterly second nature to him. And that scared him. 

He went back to the bedroom and pulled the scrap of paper with CJ's phone number on it out of his pants' pocket. He dialed fast and furiously, and waited. 

"Hello?" 

"CJ -- it's Leo McGarry." 

"Hi." Her voice was small and very quiet. 

"I didn't make it." 

"Do you think you have a problem now?" she asked. 

"Yes, and I think last night... last night was because of..." 

"Don't say that." Her voice was suddenly very sharp. "Just don't say it was a mistake -- not to me. Say it to anyone else, but don't ever say that to me." 

"I wasn't going to say it was a mistake. I was going to say I think it was because I was drinking so much, and...." 

"Get help, Leo. Ask your wife and daughter for help. Just... just get some help, please." 

"I..." 

"Please." 

"I will" whispered Leo as he gently hung up the phone. 

He went into the bathroom to brush his teeth and get rid of the familiar aftertaste of alcohol. The sound on the front door opening sent him into a panic. He had figured Jenny would be much later and he would be asleep by the time she returned. 

"Dad, you here?" called Mallory from the foyer. 

Leo gave a small sigh of relief. Although he wasn't looking forward to facing his daughter either he was glad it wasn't Jenny. 

"Yeah, up here. Be down in a minute" he yelled as he took a quick look in the mirror. He looked better than he had earlier in the day but he still looked tired and sad. He tried to plaster on a convincing smile as he went down the stairs. 

Mallory was in the kitchen with her head stuck in the fridge when he found her. 

"Hey, I thought you moved out so you could cook for yourself" teased Leo. 

Mallory stood up straight and turned to give him a hug and a kiss. She took a step back and took a good look at him. 

"Dad, you ok?" she asked trying to mask her concern. 

"Yeah, fine" lied Leo. "Mom's not here, she went out to dinner" 

"I know, I came to talk to you" said Mallory. 

"Oh?" He tried not to sound panicked. 

"Yeah. Jed called left a message on my machine, saying I needed to talk to you about something. What?" She looked more than a little worried. 

"It's nothing." 

"Dad?" 

"Look, he shouldn't have gotten you involved in this." Leo rubbed his forehead. "I... I'm going to get changed and go out, okay? If you're still here when your mom gets home..." 

"Yeah, right, I'm your flunky. Is that it? Well, fuck you, anyway." Mallory walked out and he heard the front door slam, and the sound of her gunning the engine of her car in the driveway. 

He sighed and grabbed his car keys. 

Once on the road, he drove and drove, not really knowing where he was going, but his car found its way north, and he suddenly found himself on the familiar trek to the Governor's mansion in Concord. 

That's when he decided it had to stop. 

He parked in the parking lot of a liquor store and went inside. Half a bottle of bourbon later, he got out of the car and sat on the sidewalk. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the bottle of Valium, just contemplating it, how easy it would be. 

His cell phone rang. He wanted to ignore it, but... "Hello?" 

"LEO, WHERE ARE YOU?!" 

He hung up, not wanting to listen to his wife. 

He stared at the phone for a while, expecting her to call back. Sure enough, 10 minutes later it rang. He glanced at the screen, it wasn't Jenny, it was Jed. 

He suddenly felt very alone and helpless. 

"Jed?" 

"Leo, where are you? Jenny just called, she's going out of her mind worrying about you." said Jed, totally in control and completely calm. Something Leo found to be very disconcerting. 

"I'm at a liquor store somewhere right off of Rt. 93. I'll call you with an address" 

"Should I assume you are in no shape to drive?" asked Jed. 

"Yeah" whispered Leo. 

"OK, stay there. I'll be there in a little while." 

"Jed, thanks..." 

"Yeah" 

Jed hung up the phone and called for Mrs. Landingham. She appeared in the doorway to his office with a concerned look on her face. 

"He hit the bottom?" 

"Yeah" replied Jed sadly. "I'll be back in a few hours" 


	2. You Could Drive a Person Crazy 2

**You Could Drive a Person Crazy**

**by: Ginny and Becky**

**Pairing(s):** CJ/Leo  
**Category(s):** Alternate Universe  
**Rating:** MATURE  
**Disclaimer:** The usual, not mine etc.  
**Summary:** CJ and Leo, Alternate Universe  
**Feedback:** Feedback is appreciated.  


* * *

Part 2 

CJ's life went back to normal, and she actually managed to put Leo McGarry out of her thoughts. Andrea Wyatt was elected in November, and in January, CJ moved to Washington. She got a little apartment near the OEOB and the White House, a tiny studio, actually, and she worked and slaved out of that one little room. 

Andi and Toby invited her over to their house for a dinner party one night, and she refused to go, until Andi promised she would have a week's vacation if she did. 

Which is how she found herself sitting directly across the table from Leo McGarry and his wife. 

Leo had made the introductions calmly and without hesitation. Dinner was almost bearable. Leo tried his best not to keep looking across the table at CJ and she did the same. One thing that struck CJ as important was the fact that during dinner Leo drank club soda, nothing else. 

After dinner Jenny went off to talk to some of the other guests, leaving CJ and Leo outside on the porch. Leo motioned towards a pair of chairs and they sat. 

"Leo, I had no idea you would be here, I wouldn't have come if I would have known" said CJ. 

"That's crazy, we're adults, we can handle this. I'm just curious though, does Andi know what happened?" 

"No, she asked me and I lied to her face" said CJ with more than a hint of bitterness in her voice. 

"Thank you" 

"I, uh, noticed you didn't drink at dinner" remarked CJ softly. 

"No, I didn't. I don't anymore. I guess I 'hit the bottom'. Spent some time in rehab. It's hard but I think I'm going to be ok" 

"What about Jenny?" asked CJ. 

"Do you really want to know?" asked Leo curiously. 

"Yes. I do" 

He shrugged. "It's better, but... I don't know if we can make it work." 

"Ah." 

"Yeah." He looked away and sighed a bit. 

"What's the matter?" 

"You look as beautiful as I remembered." 

"No, Leo, we're not even going to go there." She shook her head and held up her hand in a motion for him to stop. "You broke my heart once, I can't let you do it again." 

"I understand" he said nodding. "Would I sound like the biggest jerk in the world if I said I really want us to just be friends?" 

"Oh my God, no, not the let's be friends line, that's the kiss of death" said CJ trying not to laugh. 

The truth was, she had been thinking about that very idea for a while now. When the idea first occured to her it was too soon after their night together. But now, months later, she was able to put things in to perspective. She genuinely liked Leo and the thought of having him as a friend appealed to her. 

"Well, maybe it is the kiss of death, but..." He chuckled a little bit. "I missed you. A lot. I wanted to call you and tell you I was in Sierra-Tuscon, but..." He shrugged. "They would have told Jenny, and how could I ..." 

"Explain it to her?" 

"Yeah." 

"It's okay," she said with a small smile. "Look, I hate to do this, but I have to go -- I have a meeting in the morning, and one with your office in the afternoon." 

"Huh?" 

"What, your assistant didn't tell you? I have a meeting with you at 2:30, on some of Andi's policies on labor." 

"You're kidding." 

"Nope -- I was wishing I was, but... now..." She stood up and brushed imaginary dirt off of her skirt. "I'll see you tomorrow, then?" she asked, offering him her hand. 

"Tomorrow" said Leo softly as he watched her go back into the house. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Leo got to the office at the usual 6:30. Margaret was already at her desk. 

"Morning Leo" she said as she handed him his messages and schedule. 

"Hey Margaret, how come you didn't tell me I was meeting with CJ Cregg this afternoon?" 

"CJ Cregg?" repeated Margaret."Oh, is that who is coming over from Congresswoman Wyatt's office? I didn't know who they were sending. Why, is there a problem?" 

"No, not at all" 

"Have you met her before" asked Margaret as she walked to get him a cup of coffee. 

"Yeah, in California a while ago. So what else in on the schedule for today?" 

They sat in his office and went over his schedule. Margaret returned to her desk, confused by Leo's suddenly chipper mood. As she sat down she remembered how Leo had looked when he had returned from that trip to California. She sighed to herself as everything came together in her mind. CJ Cregg was the one. 

In the afternoon, Margaret looked up to find a tall woman standing in front of her desk. "I'm from Andrea Wyatt's office -- I have an appointment with Secretary McGarry." 

"You're CJ Cregg?" Margaret asked, her jaw dropping. 

"Yes." 

"Um, okay, go on in..." 

Margaret kept her eyes on CJ until she closed the door behind her. Margaret thought about the possiblity that she might be mistaken about CJ's past encounter with Leo. But she remembered all too clearly the mood Leo had been in when he had returned from California. 

"Now what" she muttered to herself as she went back to typing Leo's memos. 

CJ was in Leo's office for over 2 hours. Margaret heard both of them laughing and joking many times during their meeting. When the door opened and CJ emerged Margaret gave her a forced smile and a small wave as she turned down the hall. 

Leo appeared at her desk instantly, smiling and in a far better mood than he had been in weeks, no, make that months. 

"Here are your messages" said Margaret coldly as she handed him a stack of pink papers. 

"Something wrong?" asked Leo in a overly sweet voice. 

"Nothing" replied Margaret sharply as she turned back to her computer. 

"Whatever" muttered Leo as he whistled his way back into his office. 

Margaret slammed her desk drawer shut, and decided to stop thinking about it. It really was none of her business if he was sleeping with CJ. It was really none of her business if they had been... 

She shuddered at the very thought and answered the phone. 

~~~~ 

CJ had to come back to Leo's office serveral times in the next few weeks because of Andi's business. And she and Leo kept getting closer and closer. Not to mention that closeness kept bringing them closer and closer to what they had done before. It was an unavoidable pitfall, considering he dreamed about her, and she caught herself thinking about him instead of her work. 

And then it happened. 

They were in his office, joking around about how Andrea thought that the Republicans ought to just wear flags on their backs that said "KICK ME", when he said, "You have the sexiest laugh I've ever heard." And leaned forward. And kissed her. 

An hour later, they were both pulling their clothes back on and trying to pretend nothing had happened. 

And failing miserably. 

CJ snuck out Leo's side door to avoid Margaret. She had the feeling that Margaret knew the truth. She was positive Leo hadn't told her but everytime she saw Margaret there was a look of distrust in her eyes. 

Leo pulled himself together as best he could without a mirror. He sat at his desk thinking for a long time after CJ had gone. His eyes turned towards the photos on his shelf. He stood up slowly and walked over towards them. There was a photo of himself, Jenny and Mallory taken a few years earlier, one of Jed and Abbey holding Mallory at her christening all those years ago, one of himself and Jed taken last year in New Hampshire and finally a photo of Jenny on their wedding day, nearly 30 years earlier. He picked it up and ran a shaky hand over the image. He set it down and returned to his desk. With his head in his hands he sobbed silently. 

But not as silently as he had thought. 

Margaret stood at the closed door to Leo's office. She had heard the other door open a little while earlier and knew CJ had gone. She was about to go in with some papers for Leo to sign when she heard the sound of sobbing through the door. She knew then and there that her suspicions were correct. Determined not to make a scene she knocked softly and wait for Leo to respond. 

He pulled himself together, and called, "Come in." 

Margaret entered silently. "Do you want me to call the car?" she asked. 

"No. I'm... what do you mean, call the car?" he asked sharply. 

"Leo, I..." 

"Yeah, call the car. I'm going home. I can't take this today." He ran a hand through his hair and sighed sadly. "I... Margaret... when... when you look at me... " 

"When I look at you, I see a man with demons and angels, and right now, your demons are winning," she replied, handing him the papers and a pen. "Sign here, here, and here." 

He signed, and nodded slowly, without looking his assistant in the eye. "I think you're right." 

"Do you love Jenny?" 

"Yes. And no." 

"Do you love... CJ Cregg?" 

His eyes met hers, and he flinched. "How did you..." 

"I'm psychic," she muttered dryly. 

"Yes. I think I love her." 

"Well, you've got to make a choice, Leo, and you're gonna have to stick by it." With that, she turned and left to call the car. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

The next few weeks flew by. Leo was able to basically avoid both CJ and Jenny. His business with Andi's office had all but been concluded the day he and CJ had made love in his office. He had talked to CJ a few times but the hadn't really seen each other. His job, with its long hours, gave him reason to avoid going home very much. He had spent more than one night in his office. He knew Jenny was starting to worry that he was drinking again. But he wasn't, it was hard but he was determined not to add any more fuel to the fire that was threatening to destroy his very soul. 

At the end of a particularly long week he found himself driving north, to New Hampshire, to Jed and hopefully to the voice of reason. He had called ahead this time so Jed was expecting him. It was nearly 2:00 on Saturday morning when he pulled into the circular drive of Jed's Manchester farmhouse. Jed sat waiting for him on the front porch swing. 

"I did it again," Leo said, rubbing his forehead. 

"Did... what again?" 

"I slept with the woman again." 

"Leo, are you out of your fucking mind?!" 

Leo sat down and sighed. "Yeah, Jed. I think I am." 

~~~~ 

"Andi, I can't," CJ said, shaking her head and pushing the paper across the table. "I have to quit." 

"WHY?!" 

"Private reasons. I'm sorry I can't elaborate, but..." 

"Will you consider coming back?" 

"Maybe. I've already got a job lined up at Triton-Day in Beverly Hills, so..." 

"You're the spin goddess, CJ. I don't know what I'll do without you," Andi said honestly. 

"You'll find someone else," CJ assured her. "And I'll keep in touch. I just... I can't stay in Washington." 

"Okay. I guess... I guess I'll see you, sometime, later, then?" 

"Yeah." 

CJ stood up and left. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Two weeks later CJ was stuffing the last of her belongings into her car in preparation for her cross country drive. She was actually looking forward to the drive. It would give her some much needed time to think. And she had a lot of thinking to do. 

She had debated whether or not to see Leo before she left. She had come to the conclusion that a simple note would be best. She knew what would happened if they saw each other. 

The last thing she did before pulling away from the curb was to walk to the corner and drop the letter to Leo in the mailbox. Since it was Saturday she figured she would be well on her way to California by the time he got it Monday morning. 

And she was, by the time Margaret handed him his mail late Monday morning CJ was crossing the Mississippi. 

Leo stared at the familiar handwriting as he sat down to open it with shaking hands. He took notice of the fact that there was no return address. 

"Dear Leo," he read. 

"I know this is abrupt, but I'm moving back to California. I think it's for the best. I have a new job, and... well... It's a good one. No more politicians, as far as I can see. 

"I'll miss you, and this time, I'm breaking my own heart by writing this. I'm sorry, Leo, but... go home to Jenny. 

"Love, CJ" 

Leo read it twice, folded it up and stuffed it in the back of his desk drawer. He called for Margaret to come in. She entered his office and knew by the look on his face that something was wrong. The day had started out well, he had been in a fairly good mood. Recalling the envelope that looked more personal than professional she had a pretty good idea of what, or more importantly who, was responsible for his sudden change in mood. 

"You have a meeting with President Shepherd in an hour and a half and you need to return some phone calls before you leave" said Margaret, struggling to keep any emotion out of her voice. 

"OK" said Leo in an equally flat tone as he reached for the stack of phone messages. 

Margaret looked at him for a moment while she decided whether or not to keep quiet or risk saying something. She sat down in the chair in front of Leo's desk. She took a deep breath and decided to throw caution to the wind. 

"Leo are you ok? You seem a little..." she started with some hesitation in her voice. 

"I'm fine" said Leo, cutting her off abruptly. He was sure the direction the conversation was about to take and he wanted to cut it off as quickly as possible. 

"Can I just say...that I'm worried about you...and worried that you'll, ya know..." 

"Take a drink" said Leo completing her thought. 

"Yeah. Look, I know none of this is my business, but was that letter from CJ?" 

Leo nodded and leaned forward to prop his elbows up on his desk. He rested his head on his clasped hands and took a deep breath. 

"She left, she quit her job and moved back to California. Guess you're happy, you never liked her anyway" he said bitterly. 

Margaret tried not to take his words and more importantly his tone, personally. 

Leo unclasped his hands and dropped his head down on the desk wearily when he realized he had just tried to pick a fight with the one person in his life who was trying to be nice to him. 

"Leo, that's not true. I'm sure she's a lovely person and under different circumstances things would have been, well...different" she said slowly. 

Leo picked up his head and gave Margaret a weak smile. She stood up to leave. She took one last look at her boss. He looked downright miserable and with good reason, she thought to herself. 

"You need anything else?" she asked. 

"A bottle of water and a couple of Advil would be nice about now" said Leo as he picked up the phone. 

Margaret returned to his office a few minutes later with water and Advil. She put them on his desk. As she turned to leave he grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. Her eyes met his and he gave her a wink and a grateful smile. 

"Thank you" he mouthed silently as he dropped her hand. 

She left with a smile and the knowledge that somehow, some way, things would work out for the best. 

"Look, Isobel, I know I can't take a maternity leave until after I've been here a year, but I think under the circumstances..." 

"CJ, even so..." 

CJ growled something undistinguishable. 

"Excuse me?" 

"Nothing. Look... I'll... I'll.... take two week's unpaid leave, and.... find a live-in nanny," CJ finally said, throwing her hands in the air in exasperation. "I just need this job to be here still after I've had the baby." 

"Two weeks unpaid leave," Isobel finally agreed. "And you'd better start looking for that nanny." 

"Yeah," CJ muttered, leaving Isobel's office and heading back to her desk. She sat down in her rolling chair, grateful for the little bit of freedom it gave her, and slid as close to the desk as she could. Which was getting to be a challenge in itself, considering her size. 

"Ceej -- we need twelve mock-ups on that Emmy ad by the end of the day. Start talking to someone at the studio," Carol called from her desk. As CJ's assistant, the job of keeping Claudia Cregg's big mouth in line fell on all her. 

"Okay.... get me Nathan Hartman," CJ ordered, not having the time or inclination to feel sorry for herself -- unnwed, no plans of getting married, pregnant, and in love with a married man. 

~~~~ 

"Richard, did you really have to drag me along for this little experiment of how to court your girlfriend when you're a celebrity with tons of money?" CJ teased her boyfriend. 

"Well, I want the world to see you on my arm -- beautiful, intelligent, glowing with maternal..." 

"Stop right there or I will hit you with my bag," she promised. 

"Okay, but you look absolutely dazzling... sexy..." 

"Shut up," she hissed, blushing. 

"Ravishing," he finished, putting his hand on the small of her back to guide her into the party. 

The first person she saw was Leo McGarry. 

"I'm going home," she gasped, turning away. She couldn't let him see her like this.... couldn't let him see her pregnant with their child. 

It would only make things more complicated than they already were. 

She hoped with all her heart that Leo hadn't noticed her. But, she shouldn't have bothered. At 6 feet tall with red hair she was pretty noticable on a normal day but this day she was also almost 7 months pregnant. 

Leo looked at her for a moment, a million thoughts rushing through his head. Then he noticed Richard standing next to her, holding her hand. 

"Boy, she sure got over me quick" he muttered to himself as he walked over to greet her. 

"CJ',"Leo" they said at the same time. 

They shared awkward kisses on the cheek and CJ introduced Leo to Richard. She was hoping they would start a conversation and she could sneak away but as usual, luck was not on her side. Richard's cellphone rang and he excused himself to take the call outside. Leo stepped back and took a good look at CJ, on his mind was the obvious question. 

"How are you?" she asked, determined to ignore his scrutiny. 

"I'm okay -- CJ..." 

"Yes?" 

"Is the baby..." 

She took a deep breath and said, "Leo, if it was, I certainly wouldn't tell you so." 

"Why not?" 

"Because. You're married. You have children of your own. I wouldn't want you to be ashamed of anything." 

"But is..." 

"Leo." 

"Sweetheart?" Richard said, stepping back up. "I'm going to be on the phone for a while. Do you want me to send something over for you to drink?" 

"Yes, please," she replied with a sweet smile. "Just some water." 

"Okay," he said, heading off again. 

"You're going out with Richard Fowler?" Leo asked in disgust. 

"What's wrong with Richard?" she hissed, bristling. 

"He's a little... well... snobbish." 

"Leo McGarry, he's nothing of the kind!" She frowned. "I think you're just jealous." She stepped back, aghast at what she'd just said. "I... I... I need air." 

"We're outside," he pointed out dryly. 

"Whatever" muttered CJ as she attempted to walk away from him. 

Leo caught up to her quickly, catching her by the elbow and leading her towards a bench. She wanted to refuse to sit but her aching back and feet got the best of her and she sat down. Leo sat next to her, a little too close for her comfort level. She scooted over to the edge of the bench and let out a large sigh. 

"So are you going to answer my question?" asked Leo. 

"What question was that Leo?" asked CJ sarcastically. 

"Oh, for God's sake CJ. Is the kid mine?" he yelled getting the attention of more than one guest. 

CJ's hand shot out and slapped him across the cheek. 

"Well, that was a charming development," he muttered, rubbing his cheek. "People, we're playacting," he shouted. 

"Yeah right," CJ mumbled, getting to her feet and walking away. Leo caught up with her inside, and took her into the small half-bath beneath the staircase. "Leo..." 

"Is it mine?" he asked, his voice hard and cold as ice. 

"For God's sake..." 

"Just answer me. I'll send money, I'll make sure the baby's taken care of if it's mine..." 

"You go to hell for saying that!" 

"WHAT?!" 

"You are..." 

"Is it mine?" 

"Yes, Leo, you were the only person I was with almost seven months ago!" she said angrily. "Of course it's yours -- why the hell else..." 

She stopped and shook her head, very upset. "No, Leo, I don't want you rmoney. I don't want your condescending attitude towards my child, either. I don't want you in our lives. You belong with your wife and daughter. Just... stay out of my life." She left and slammed the door shut behind her. She found Richard and told him she was going home, and took his limo back to her house. 

And she cried the rest of the night. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Leo spent the entire cross country flight fidgeting in his first class seat, trying to read, work, watch the movie, anything to keep from ordering a drink from the ever present flight attendant. He was on his third class of club soda when he decided to just turn off the light and try to get some sleep. 

But sleep was just beyond his reach, he was exhausted, but everytime he closed his eyes he saw CJ before him. He could hear her voice, smell her perfume, feel her hand slapping him. Finally somewhere over Ohio he fell into a restless sleep. 

When the plane landed, he went home, and even Jenny had to admit that something was wrong with him. But he wouldn't talk to anyone, not even his best friend. 

A few weeks later, Leo read in the paper that Richard Fowler had married one Claudia J. Cregg, and knew with dreaded certainty that it was his CJ. HIS CJ?! When did that happen? 

A few days later, she made the news again, this time with a birth announcement. "Rose Anne Fowler, 18 inches, 5 pounds, 5 ounces, was born 1 month prematurely to studio chairman Richard Fowler and his wife, Claudia Cregg, this morning at 12:02 AM. Rose is in good condition, and is expected to be released from the hospital in a few weeks." 

Leo sighed and put away the paper. "MARGARET!" 

Margaret came into the room with a scowl. "You don't have to scream at me," she snapped. 

"Fine, whatever -- send a dozen roses to Claudia Cregg, via Richard Fowler's office, please." 

"CJ Cregg?" she asked, taking notes. "Why?" 

"Because, she just had a baby." 

"Oh." 

Margarent nodded slowly. "What do you want on the card, Leo?" 

"Congratulations, love, Leo," he said, his tone clipped. 

Margaret closed the door behind her. She sat at her desk for a minute before ordering the flowers. She pulled out the newspaper she hadn't had a chance to read yet. She found the birth announcement, scanning it quickly and counting back on her fingers she let out a big sigh. 

She spent the rest of the day keeping a close eye on Leo. Around 8 that night she went to check on him. He had been in his office alone for a few hours. He hadn't bothered her, come out or eaten dinner. She grabbed a cup of coffee and quietly opened the door. Leo was in his chair with his feet on the desk, sound asleep. There was a piece of paper in his hands and he was still wearing his glasses. Margaret pulled the paper from his hands. Curiousity got the best of her and she read it. It was the note CJ had sent him when she left town. She folded it up and put it under the blotter of his desk. She removed his glasses, turned off the light and went to call Jenny and tell her where he was. She knew Jenny had been worried about him for over a month, ever since his trip to the west coast. And now Margaret was pretty sure she knew why he had been so upset. 

~~~~ 

"Hi, sweetheart," Richard said, sitting down beside CJ on the edge of the hospital bed. 

"Hi," she replied with a smile. 

"How do you feel?" 

"Sore, tired, worried about Rosie... but I'm okay, I think," she replied. 

"Well, I brought these for you," Richard said, presenting her with a huge bouquet of carnations and roses. "And some flowers arrived at my office for you from Leo McGarry." 

He couldn't help but notice her flinch. 

"Oh, that's nice" she said trying not to show any emotion. 

"I didn't know you knew McGarry that well" remarked Richard. 

CJ looked at him and in her heart she knew it was time to tell Richard just how well she knew Leo McGarry. 

"Yeah, I've known him for a while now. We were, uh, for a while..." CJ stopped suddenly as tears sprang forth fueled by hormones and too little sleep. 

Richard sat on the bed and pulled his wife into his arms. 

"CJ, honey, is Leo..." 

He didn't have to finish the question. He felt her nod her head into his shoulder as she sobbed. 

"Oh, sweetheart, I... I know how hard... I think I know.... oh, hell, I have no idea how hard this is for you," he finally said, holding her as she cried. "But I want you to know that, no matter what, I love you and Rosie." 

"I know," she whispered, hiccuping. "And I love you, too." 

"It's gonna be fine," he promised. 

~~~~ 

She remembered that promise two years later, when their divorce became final. He made provisions for supporting Rose and CJ even though he had no legal obligations to do so. 

It was an amicable split. He fell in love with an actress, and it didn't hurt CJ that much, because she was still in love with Leo. And they divorced. 

There was no blood, no pain. 

It was simple and clean. 

CJ continued to work at Triton-Day, and Richard paid for a full-time nanny for Rose. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Leo left the cabinet about the time Rose Fowler celebrated her first birthday. He had thought about sending something but decided against it. CJ had never contacted him after Rose's birth. 

He had spent the last year on the lecture circuit. He was quite a popular speaker and found the whole experience enjoyable. Jenny went with him once in a while but mostly he travelled alone. Their marriage was becoming more and more a marriage of convenience. They both knew it but neither one wanted to take the next step. 

Leo had spent a fair amount of time with Jed. Although Leo never admitted to Rose's parentage deep down Jed knew the truth. He didn't push Leo to talk about CJ and for that Leo was grateful. 

In his mind Leo saw big things for Jed. He had come to the farmhouse in New Hamphire on this warm summer night to share his vision. They were sitting on the front porch watching Jed's granddaughter chase fireflies. 

"OK, Leo, what's up?" asked Jed warily. 

Leo took a deep breath. 

"How does President Josiah Barlet sound to you?" asked Leo as he turned to face Jed. 

"President Josiah Bartlet?" Jed repeated, laughing. "Leo, you have gone completely batty. Dotty. Idiotic." 

"I'm being serious, Jed. Just... just think about it, okay?" 

~~~~ 

The phone rang and CJ rolled over to grab it. "Hello? Isobel... it's six-thirty in the morni... okay, fine." She set the receiver back onto the cradle and groaned, slowly sitting up and running her hands through her hair. 

She took a five minute shower and threw on some clothes. It was her day off -- why was Isobel calling her in, especially at THIS hour in the morning?! 

She made sure that Desiree and Rose were settled in front of breakfast and "Winnie-the-Pooh" on the Disney Channel before running out to the car. She bitched the whole way down to Beverly Hills because she had to wear her glasses, since she couldn't get her contacts in. 

And then, when she got out of the car in the underground garage, her glasses fell off and shattered on the cement. "Oh great -- what ELSE can go wrong today?!" she yelled to no one in particular, though several people stopped to stare at her. 

By the time she got home, she was fuming. 

How could Isobel fire her?! She needed that job to make house payments! She needed... 

There was a car sitting in her driveway, where she knew there should not be one. It had a rental car sticker on the bumper, she could tell through the fuzz that was her eyesight. But who would...? 

She let herself into the back yard and headed for the back door. "Hi, CJ." 

"Who's that?" she asked, squinting at the blur sitting in her pool chair. 

"It's me." 

"Toby? What are you.... AUGH!" She fell into the pool, nearly choking to death on her way back up. 

She tried not to focus on their conversation as she climbed out fo the pool and dried off, because she felt like an idiot. But when Toby told her about the campaign, she sort of perked up a bit. And then he said that Leo wanted her. 

"McGarry wants me?" she asked. 

"Yes." 

"Does he know I've only ever worked statewide, not on a national campaign?" she asked, still unable to get over Leo wanting HER. 

"It's graduation day." 

"Well... come inside, and we'll talk about it." She headed off, and Toby stopped her. 

"CJ, the house is that way." 

"Okay." 

Once inside, a little bundle of pure energy came streaking into the back room. "Mommy, mommy, mommy!" Rose stopped and stared at her mother. "You're all wet!" 

"Yes, I am," CJ sighed. 

"Why?" 

"Because I fell in the pool." 

"Why?" 

"Because I was trying to see Uncle Toby." 

"Why.... UNCLE TOBY!" Rose shrieked, hurtling herself into Toby's arms. "Hihi!" 

Toby scooped up Rose into his arms and planted a kiss on her cheek. She giggled and scooted up higher in his arms to kiss him on the top of his bald head. 

"I'm going to get changed, I'll be down in a minute" called CJ from the stairs. 

"OK, we'll be fine" called Toby as he sat on the couch with Rose on his lap. She had really grown since he had last seen them a few months earlier. She was past the baby stage and fully into the toddler phase. She was a bundle of energy. Rose had her mother's blue eyes and her father's fine, sandy hair. 

Her father...that was a subject that CJ and Toby had always carefully managed to avoid. Sure, Toby was curious but he never asked and CJ had never offered any information. 

He knew that Richard Fowler couldn't possibly be her father, because CJ hadn't even started seeing him before she announced she was expecting. And besides, even if she'd been lying about that -- Richard had dark hair and almost-black eyes. 

No dice. 

Except for the hair, though, Rose looked almost exactly like the pictures he'd seen of CJ as a little girl, so it would be difficult to ID a father out of thin air, anyway. 

"So, what are you up to today, little miss Rosita?" he inquired. 

"Ree and I watched Pooh after Mommy left. And I colored." 

"Oh, that's nice" said Toby. He had been sitting with Rose on his lap for about 5 minutes and he was quickly reaching his *child* quota for the day, or maybe the week. Just as he was trying to decide how to remove her from his lap Desiree called from the kitchen with an offer of milk and cookies. 

"Bye, Uncle Toby" giggled Rose as she reached up to rub his head. She scampered away as Toby rolled his eyes. 

"Enough of the kids stuff for one day, huh Toby?" asked CJ as she came out of the kitchen with two glasses of iced tea. 

"Something like that" muttered Toby as he motioned for CJ to sit. 

"So tell me more about Jed Bartlet. Is he the real thing?" asked CJ as she curled her long legs under her and turned sideways to face Toby. 

"Yeah, he is. He's not the easiest guy to get to know, but he's the real thing. So what do you say, are you in?" 

"I don't know. It's all so sudden. I have Rose to consider. Leo McGarry really mentioned me by name?" she asked, trying to keep her emotions in check. 

"Yeah, you must have made a good impression on him a few years ago when the two of you met." said Toby. 

CJ had just taken a large sip of iced tea and it took her a good five minutes and three napkins to stop choking and to clean herself up. 

"You ok there, CJ?" asked Toby oblivious to why she was suddenly choking and speechless. 

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, I'm okay," she assured him on a whisper, still coughing some. "I... I don't know, Toby. Who would take care of Rose?" 

"Desiree? I mean, that's what you pay her for, right?" 

"But with the cut in pay... Toby, I don't know how I'll be able to..." CJ sighed and put her head in her hands. "I can't ask Richard for more money. He's already giving me about $500,000 a year." 

"Plus your salary.... good, God, woman!" Toby rolled his eyes. "Sell the damn house and bring Desiree and Rose along for the campaign!" 

"Are you gonna baby-sit?" she challenged. "And what happens when Rosie has to go to school?" 

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it." 

"Jesus Christ, Toby... I..." 

"He's the real thing." 

CJ took a deep breath, this was the opportunity she had been waiting for all her adult life. A chance to work a national campaign, to break into the all boy network, to be a player in the party. She was being invited to *sit at the adult table*, how could she say no. 

"I'll do it" 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Leo sat staring at the fax that had just arrived. It was from Toby; it said simply, 

Leo, 

CJ's in. 

Toby 

He tiredly rubbed his eyes and crumbled up the paper, tossing it in the nearby trashcan. He turned his attention back to Jed and Josh. 

"We've got our press person," he said. 

"Who?" Josh asked. 

"Leo, you're pissing me off," Jed growled. "You keep bringing in all of these people I've never even HEARD of and..." 

"CJ Cregg," Leo said. "She's good -- she ran interference for Andrea Wyatt during her first campaign and has worked for EMILY's List. She's very good, and we can use her. She does have a small child -- I don't know what's happening with that, though, just yet." 

"How small?" Jed asked as Josh groaned and rolled his eyes. 

"I think she's about three, three and a half now," Leo answered. 

"Oh, a little turkey. Well, bring the monkey along! The kid'll be a nice distraction," Jed said with a smile. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

CJ and Rose took one last look around the townhouse before hopping in the car. CJ was planning on shipping everything, including her car, to the small apartment she had rented in Manchester but at the last minute decided to drive cross country with Rose and Desiree. A decision she hoped she wouldn't regret. But she figured they could take turns driving and things would work out just fine. But the real reason for the drive was to give her more time to think about what to say when she came face to face with Leo. 

She had been in contact with him by email and fax but hadn't actually spoken to him. They were both doing a very good job of avoiding each other. But that was about to end. 

~~~~~~~~~ 

Ten days later, with Desiree and Rose safely tucken away at the Holiday Inn in Manchester, where they would stay while waiting for the rest of their things to arrive, CJ stood on the sidewalk in front of the Bartlet for America headquarters. She took a deep breath and pushed the door opened. It only took a second for her to spot Leo. He was sitting at a desk, feet propped up, fidgeting with his suspenders. He looked as adorable as she had remembered, maybe even more so. She was fighting the urge to run out the door and back to California when Toby spotted her and waved her over. 

"Hey, CJ, come meet everybody!" he called. "We're just getting ready for a meeting, so..." Toby grabbed her by the elbow and dragged her over to the others. "This is Josh Lyman, Sam Seaborn, you already know Leo McGarry, and THIS is Josiah Bartlet. Everybody, this is CJ Cregg, our new Press Secretary." 

"Hi," she said. "So let me get this straight, Josh, Sam, Leo and Governor Bartlet, right?" 

"Yeah," Leo said curtly. "Let's get to work, people." He sat up and handed out papers. "I need everyone to contact everyone on each of these lists by five." 

"What's next?" Bartlet intoned. 

"We have a speech in Concord tonight," Josh spoke up. "No blowing the thing." 

"What's next?" 

CJ just blinked, unable to believe what she was hearing. Important speeches were being reduced to "the thing"? And they were calling people like nothing more than telemarketers? WHAT KIND OF CAMPAIGN WAS THIS?! 

"Nothing Governor" said Leo as people scattered in all directions. 

CJ stood rooted to her spot until Leo's voice broke through the haze she was feeling. 

"CJ, uh, let's find you a place to work and maybe then we can talk?" asked Leo in an uncharacteriscally timid tone. 

"Yeah" she muttered as she took in the chaos around her that masqueraded as a Presidential campaign. 

Leo led her to a small but tidy cubicle with her name taped to the outside wall. She dropped her bag and sat down wearily. The exhaustion caused by a cross country trip with a preschooler was quickly taking over her body and mind. Leo stood nervously until she pointed to the chair in front of the desk. She quietly took a photo out of her bag and slid it across the desk towards Leo. 

"I thought you might like to see her," she explained quietly. "Before you actually meet her, I mean." 

He picked up the photo -- which was of CJ, Toby and Rose sitting on CJ's deck chair out by the pool -- and stared at it for a long time before handing it back to her. "She looks like you," he finally said. 

"But she's got you in her, too." 

"A little," he conceded. 

"We call her Rosie -- except for Toby who calls her Rosita for some reason. She loves Winnie-the-Pooh, coloring, and... talking about her daddy." She put the picture away and slid her purse under the desk. 

"Richard?" 

"Yeah." 

"Oh." 

"He's the only father she knows" said CJ a little harsher than she had intended. After all it was her idea to raise her daughter without help or support from Leo. 

"Yeah, I guess she is. I hope someday that's not the case. So when can I meet her?" asked Leo. 

"Tomorrow, I'll have Desiree bring her by in the afternoon. I would rather her meet you here than at the hotel." 

"Fine. I'm just curious, does Toby know?" 

"If he does, he didn't hear it from me" said CJ. "Now can we please move on to this circus you call a campaign?" 

"Sure" 


	3. You Could Drive a Person Crazy 3

**You Could Drive a Person Crazy**

**by: Ginny and Becky**

**Pairing(s):** CJ/Leo  
**Category(s):** Alternate Universe  
**Rating:** MATURE  
**Disclaimer:** The usual, not mine etc.  
**Summary:** CJ and Leo, Alternate Universe  
**Feedback:** Feedback is appreciated.  


* * *

Part 3 

That night when she finally got to the hotel, at about eleven, all CJ felt like doing was kissing her sleeping daughter on the forehead and collapse into bed. Which she did with all haste. 

The front desk rang at 2 AM. 

"Shit," CJ muttered, grabbing the phone before it could wake Rose and Desiree up. "Yes?" 

"Ms. Cregg?" 

"YES?!" 

"There's a woman named Carol Henshall at the front desk to see you. She says she's your assistant?" 

"Oh God, send her up!" CJ exclaimed. She was waiting at the door when Carol knocked a few minutes later. "Come in, come in!" she laughed. "How did you...." 

"I called your dad, and he said you came to work for Bartlet, and I quit at Triton-Day, and... you'll need an assistant, right?" Carol asked with a smile. 

"GOD YES!" 

By lunchtime the next day CJ had introduced Carol around, managed to only confuse Josh and Sam in the process, gotten her desk organized, met with Jed Bartlet, gotten some pointers from Margaret and managed to nicely avoid Leo. 

But as late morning turned to early afternoon she couldn't put off the inevitable, she had to have Desiree bring Rosie over to meet everyone, including Leo. 

Rosie flew into Toby's arms the minute she entered the building. Toby looked slightly embarrassed as she did her ritual of kissing the top of his bald head. He introduced her around and everyone made a big fuss over her. But no one was more smitten with her than Jed Bartlet. Toby left Rosie in Jed's arms eating a cookie while he went to get CJ, who was on the phone. 

By the time CJ had gotten to Jed's office Leo was already in there. She stopped in the doorway and surveyed the scene in front of her; the democratic nominee for the presidency was holding her daughter, covered in cookie crumbs and grinning from ear to ear. Leo was watching from a few feet away, unsure of what to do. CJ took a deep breath and went in. 

"Rosie, honey, I'd like you to meet Leo." 

"I already met him mommy, Uncle 'siah told me who he was" 

Jed chuckled at the little girl on his knee. 

"Why don't we try Uncle Jed, might be easier to say. Now I have to get to work but it was very nice meeting you Rosie" said Jed as he kissed her cheek and put her down. 

"Bye Uncle Jed" said Rosie waving to him as he walked out of the office. 

Leo sat down as Rosie eyed him warily. He offered her another cookie and she climbed in his lap. 

"Your mommy says you like Winnie-the-Pooh?" Leo asked. 

"Yeah," Rose mumbled around her cookie. "Mommy, Ree let me watch Beauty and the Beast this morning." 

"Okay, sweetheart," CJ said with a smile. "That's why we brought it, you know." 

"'Kay." Rose smiled up at Leo. "You like Pooh?" 

"I love Pooh -- and Tigger, too," Leo said with an awkward smile. 

"I love Piglet," CJ piped up. 

"Mommy likes Roo, too..." Rose supplied, climbing off of Leo's lap. "Mommy, I'm thirsty," she said very matter-of-factly. 

"CJ, phone" yelled Carol from the hallway. 

"Go, I'll find her something to drink" said Leo. 

CJ only hesitated for a second before running down the hall to take the call. 

Leo and Rosie walked down the hall hand in hand towards the small kitchen. They found some juice and went into Leo's office to wait for CJ to finish. Leo gave her some paper and a pen. She got to work drawing while Leo read over some notes. 

"Here Leo, I drew a picture for you" said Rosie as she held out a piece of paper. 

"It's a picture of Winnie-the-Pooh" supplied Rosie just as Leo was about to give up on figuring out what it was. 

He held out a piece of tape and Rosie put it on his filing cabinet. She went back to drawing and Leo went back to his notes. Neither noticed Jed standing in the doorway watching them. 

Jed sighed to himself as he looked at the similarities between his best friend and the little girl who had stolen all of their hearts. They had the same hair, similar coloring and they both had the same slightly crooked smile. 

Leo looked up to find Jed staring. He knew exactly what Jed was thinking and there was no way to deny it. Leo just gave a small, sad smile and an almost invisible nod. Jed returned the smile and continued down the hall. 

He wound up at CJ's cubicle, watching her deal with someone from the Washington Post -- Danny Concannon, if he had to lay a bet on it. She hung up, finally and made a little demon-shrieking noise, making a motion like she wanted to strangle the phone. 

"Having fun, are we?" he asked with a little chuckle. 

"Governor, I didn't..." 

"No, it's okay, I quite understand," he said with a smile. "Leo has Rosie drawing pictures of Pooh for him." 

She sighed in relief. "I thought you were going to say she'd gotten in trouble or something..." 

"Oh, no. She's too much like her father to get in trouble." 

Her eyes widened and she choked. "Excuse me?" 

"Richard," he supplied a moment later. "We went to boarding school together." 

"Oh." She hoped she didn't look as nervous as she thought she did. 

"I'll let you get to work. I'll talk to you later CJ" said Jed as he turned back towards his office. 

In Jed's mind there was no doubt, Leo was Rosie's father. He stored that information away in his mind, vowing not to bring the subject up unless Leo did first. 

CJ dropped her head to the desk and let out a quiet, "kill me now" before slowly getting up and heading over towards Leo's office. 

She found them hard at work, Leo in his chair, head bent over a stack of papers, Rosie kneeling on his visitors chair coloring. She leaned against the door jamb for a minute, trying to stop the tears from escaping from her eyes. 

Rosie glanced up and cried, "Mommy, I made Leo a picture of Pooh, and he hanged it up!" She pointed proudly at the file cabinet. 

Leo looked up, startled, at CJ. "Thanks for keeping an eye on her for me," CJ said with a smile. 

"No problem," he replied. "Where's your nanny?" 

"She went to the store to get some things -- like little Miss Rosie's new shoes," CJ said, grabbing her daughter and swinging her up into the air. "Wanna go back to Mommy's office, sweetheart?" 

"No, I want to stay with Leo," Rose stated firmly. 

"Carol's here." 

"Carol's here? Reawwy?" 

"Yeah." 

Rosie climbed back down to the ground and ran over to hug Leo and give him a little kiss on the cheek. "Thank you," she said very politely. "Bye-bye -- I'm gonna see Carol now." 

"Okay, you go see Carol," Leo agreed with a smile as she and CJ left. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

As days turned in to weeks they fell into a somewhat comfortable routine. CJ worked nonstop until the late afternoon and then she took a break to have a early dinner with Rosie before getting a few more hours worth of work done or attending a campaign function. When they went on the road for more than a day or two Rosie and Desiree usually joined them. Rosie made friends with all the staffers and they enjoyed spoiling her. Toys made their way into the offices of just about everyone, even to the office of the overworked candidate. 

Leo spent as much time with Rosie as the others did. She had captured his heart that very first day. He did his best to give CJ space. They talked very little about anything other than the campaign. CJ never asked about Jenny and he never offered any information. The truth was, he and Jenny hardly talked anymore. He was so wrapped up in the campaign that he hardly noticed. 

They found themselves in Chicago for the Illinois Primary, and CJ and Leo had rooms just a few doors down from each other. Rose had an ear infection, and CJ was going out of her mind, trying to take care of her and make sure she got enough sleep and antibiotics. At about one in the morning, Leo heard someone knocking on his door, and he found CJ there, looking ragged, exhausted, and like she'd been crying. 

"Hey, can I come in?" she asked a little unsure of why she was even there. 

"Sure" said Leo as he stepped aside and let me pass by him. 

CJ just sort of stood in the middle of the room for a minute. She would have just collapsed in to a chair if they hadn't all been covered in assorted newspaper, files and magazines. Leo brushed past her and tossed some files off of the spare bed and steered her over to it. She sat down heavily and put her head in her hands. 

It was all Leo could do to keep from wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight. But chose to sit down next to her a respectable distance from her. 

"What's wrong? Rosie still sick?" asked Leo. 

"No, well, yeah but that's not the problem. It's Richard. He and his new wife were on a sailing trip off Catalina and the boat was caught in a storm. So far there hasn't been any word on survivors...God Leo, I don't know what to do. I can't..." 

"Sshhh, it's ok" murmured Leo as he scooted over to put his arm around her. 

At first CJ flinched at his touch but then accepted his comfort and melted into his arms. 

There was nothing sexual in his touch, just something so very comforting. She cried into his shoulder until she couldn't cry anymore, and then she just let him hold her. "I... I don't know what it is about this place," she finally whispered. "First Josh's dad, and now this..." 

"Hey, it's okay," he assured her. "If something has... happened... to Richard... I know we'll all help you with money for Rosie if..." 

"No, he'll leave provisions for Rosie," she said with all certainty. "He loves her so much, 

Leo, it's... How can I tell her that her Daddy is gone?" The pain on her face made Leo want to cry. 

Leo just held her, unable to come up with any words that might remotely make CJ feel better. He held her until the body was limp with exhaustion and he was sure she was sleeping. He laid her down and slipped off her shoes. Gently he pulled the covers out from underneath her and tucked her in. 

He went into the bathroom and got ready for bed himself. It took more willpower than he knew he had not to get in the bed with her. He did kiss her cheek and brush the hair out of her eyes before climbing into the other bed and falling into a deep and dreamless sleep. 

CJ woke up at five-fifteen and couldn't figure out where she was. She sat up, looking around in the dark, confused. "Rosie?" she called softly. 

"CJ?" came a sleep-grumpy voice from one direction. 

"Leo?" 

"Yeah, you fell asleep, and I..." 

"I have to go," she said quickly, climbing out of the bed and promptly tripping over something. She fell to the floor, cracking her head on the bedframe. 

Leo heard the thud, crack, and groan of pain, and was out of the bed in a flash, flipping on the bedside light. 

"CJ!" he cried, pressing a handkerchief he fished out of his pants to her bleeding temple. 

"I'm... 'kay...." she mumbled weakly. "Room's spinning." 

"I bet it is" he agreed as he helped her back onto the bed. "Let me get some ice and see if Abbey's up yet." 

"No, I'm fine, just let me sit for a minute and then I'll go to my room" said CJ. 

"No way. Stay here, I'll be right back" Leo ordered as he grabbed the ice bucket. 

He returned 5 minutes later with the ice and Abbey. 

"Abbey, I'm fine really. I hope Leo didn't wake you" 

"He didn't wake me and I will be the judge of how fine you are, CJ" said Abbey as she reached for the handkerchief. 

The bleeding had stopped and the cut wasn't as bad as it had first looked to Leo. It didn't need stitches and Abbey wasn't real worried about a concussion. She told CJ to keep the ice on for a while longer and to take some Advil for the headache she was sure to get. 

Abbey smirked for a moment, then inquired, "And what were you two doing in here that resulted in this little injury?" 

CJ sighed. "My ex-husband was in a yacht accident, and... I needed someone to talk to. I cried myself to sleep, and Leo put me in the other bed, I guess, and I woke up and was trying to leave to check on Rosie's fever, and... I... tripped and hurt myself." She was turning bright red. 

"Ah, yes, isn't that always the way?" Abbey said with a dirty chuckle. 

"ABIGAIL!" Leo rumbled. "Go back to bed already!" 

"Yes dear" Abbey called over her shoulder as she opened the door to her room. 

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

CJ and Rosie made quite a pair that day on the flight to California. Rosie cried from the ear infection which was of course made worse by the changes in pressure in her little ears. CJ just wanted to cry period, for Richard, for Leo, from the pounding headache. It didn't help at all that Desiree had been called home on a family emergency. Plus Josh was still in Connecticut with his mother and planned to stay until Shiva was over. That left the campaign one voice and body short. Everyone had been running on pure adrenaline for days and they were crashing fast. 

Once the plane took off Leo took a crying Rosie from an exhausted CJ. He cuddled her in his lap and rubbed her back until she feel asleep somewhere over the midwest. Half an hour later he felt himself drifting off despite the fact that Jed was talking to him at the time. Jed smiled to himself as he threw a blanket over the sleeping pair. 

CJ woke up over New Mexico, sick to her stomach, and headed for the lavatory. When she came out fifteen minutes later, she had lost everything she'd eaten and drank that day, and her head was pounding. Abbey met her outside the restroom with a bottle of Advil, and a weak smile. "Thanks," CJ mumbled, taking the bottle and heading back to her seat. 

Leo stirred and looked over at her. "You okay?" 

"Headache," she mumbled, swallowing the pills dry, not wanting to risk putting anything else on her stomach at that point. 

"Okay -- she's really hot," he commented, pressing a kiss to Rose's forehead. 

"I've got some kid's Tylenol in here somewhere," CJ muttered, digging around in her carry-on. She finally got it out and Leo worked with Jed to rouse the sleeping toddler. 

Twenty minutes and a large amount of grape Tylenol later Rosie was settled down on Abbey's lap while Jed and Leo headed towards the bathroom to wash off the sticky remains of Tylenol and apple juice. 

When they had washed up Jed steered Leo into an empty row of seats and sat down next to him. He just raised his eyebrows at Leo in a silent question. 

"Yeah, she's mine" whispered Leo as he put his head in his hands. 

Jed nodded and reached out to place a comforting hand on Leo's back. 

"I won't say anything," Jed said quietly. "I just... needed to know. Have you told Jenny?" 

"No." 

"Okay, good. I don't think she could handle it. Let's go back, okay?" 

"Yeah," Leo sighed. 

"Want Leo," Rose whined as he came by and sat down, stretching her arms out towards him. 

He picked her up and settled her down in his lap again. Jed brought a cool, damp cloth and put it on her forehead. 

Leo and Rose slept for the rest of the flight under the watchful eye of Jed and Abbey. By the time they landed CJ was feeling better and Rosie's fever had dropped. As they entered the terminal all of the televisions were playing the same thing. A news brief about Richard's accident. 

Rose looked at the screens and smiled. "Mommy, look -- Daddy and Mary are on TV!" 

CJ just nodded numbly. They passed by a row of speakers, and she heard, "Richard Fowler and his second wife, Mary Oliviette were confirmed dead just about ten minutes ago." Her knees buckled and she fainted. 

When she regained consciousness, everyone was hovered over her. "CJ?" Abbey said, her voice tinged with worry. 

"I.... I... I'm okay," CJ whispered, fighting tears. "It's just..." 

Rose looked down at her, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Is Daddy dead?" she whispered. 

"Oh, baby, come here," CJ insisted, opening her arms to Rose. "Come here...." Rose launched herself into her mother's arms and cried. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

CJ and Rose rejoined the campaign 2 weeks later. With the support of her friends, Leo included, CJ helped Rose through the funeral and the weeks that followed. 

Once again they fell into their comfortable routine. 

Late one Friday afternoon found Rosie wandering the halls of the Bartlet for America headquarters searching for a playmate. She found a large number of staffers too busy to play but when she had finished her rounds she had quite a collection of assorted goodies. She had a pink ball from Toby, a cookie from Mrs. Landingham, a copy of Green Eggs and Ham from Sam, (she had to promise to return it when she was done), a lollipop from Josh and a freshly painted set of purple finger nails, thanks to Donna. She dropped her goodies in CJ's office and announced that she was off to find Leo. 

"OK, honey, but come back if he's busy" said CJ, not really looking up from the memo she was reading. 

Rosie arrived in Leo's doorway and knocked softly. 

"Come in" yelled Leo from the desk. 

Rosie entered and saw that Uncle Jed was there too. She stood for a moment trying to decided who had the better lap to offer. She gave Jed a hug and a kiss but ended up in Leo's lap. 

"Mmmph, guess I can see where her loyalties lie" teased Jed. "I'm going to get ready for the thing tonight. I'll see you later." 

"Yeah" said Leo as he turned his attention to Rose. 

An hour later Leo and Rose were hungry and they wandered off in search of CJ to see if she wanted to go grab something to eat. They found her on the phone, as usual. They sat patiently, well, almost patiently, for her to finish. 

"Mommy, we're hungry. Leo wants to go to Chuck E. Cheese" stated Rosie. 

CJ burst out laughing and eyed Leo curiously. 

"Your idea?" she asked with her eyebrows raised. 

"Not really, but come on, I have a couple of hours before the thing tonight, how bad could it be?" 

"Oh, it'll be fine" said CJ with the straightest face she could manage. 

Wouldn't the DNC be absolutely appalled when they found out that Leo won the most tickets that afternoon, once he'd gotten the point of the "slam the alligator on the head" game. He'd pretended they were the Republicans, and had proceeded to rack up the tickets, which he redeemed for a big teddy bear for Rose. 

CJ tucked Rose into bed with her new teddy bear, who she had christened "Poohsie", and kissed the little girl on the forehead. 

"Mommy?" Rose said. "Can Leo be my daddy?" 

"No, sweetie." 

"Why not, Mommy?" 

"Because he's married to someone else, sweetheart, and he has a daughter, already," CJ explained patiently. 

"How old is she?" 

"Oh, she's old -- she's twenty-something," CJ said with a smile. "Her name is Mallory." 

"That's a pretty name, Mommy." 

"Yes, it is." She tucked Rose a little further beneath the covers and smiled. "Now, tomorrow's a big day, and you need your sleep." 

"Why's it a big day?" 

"Because we'll find out if Uncle Jed is going to be President," CJ said with a wide smile. "I'll even let you stay up late, if he is." 

"Okay, but I want to sit with Leo." 

"Okay, sweet stuff. Now, go to sleep." She turned off the lights, and cried herself to sleep that night. 

Rose woke up early the next morning and climbed into bed with CJ. 

"Mommy, today's the big day, get up" said Rose as she stood up and jumped on the bed, dangerously close to CJ's head. 

"OK, sweetie. I'm up." mumbled CJ, still half asleep. 

CJ showered quickly and fed Rose breakfast. They were all heading to the Bartlet family farm to await the outcome of the election. CJ packed some toys for Rose and threw the bag in the car along with the rest of their things. 

The mood at the farm was electric. People were in and out all day. Rose was in heaven. Jed and Abbey's granddaughter had appointed herself baby sitter for the day. Rose adored Annie and was happy to follow her around for the day. 

As the sun started to set and the crowds thinned out CJ found herself on the front porch swing, happily alone. She had the feeling that someone was watching her and she turned to look at the front door. Leo was in the doorway, smiling. 

"Can I sit?' he asked as he motioned towards the swing. 

"Sure" replied CJ. 

He sat down beside her, but with a reasonable distance between them. 

"You've been a little... removed... today. You okay?" he asked. 

"Just having a relaxation day, before I have a nutty, to use Zoey's term," CJ sighed, leaning her head back as far as it would go without choking her. 

"Ah." 

"Leo... how's Jenny? And how is Mallory? You never talk about them, and..." 

"Jenny and I don't talk much anymore. I'm too busy. And Mal's pretty pissed at us both." 

"No kidding." 

"Sarcasm is not a very good trait," he said wryly. "Your daughter won't be able to tell when you're being serious or not." 

CJ sighed and covered her eyes with one hand. 

"What's the matter?" he asked. "CJ?" 

"Nothing. Just... just something Rose asked me last night." 

"What was that?" asked Leo curiously. 

CJ thought about lying, making up a benign question but decided to tell the truth, see what Leo's reaction would be. 

"She asked if you could be her new daddy" whispered CJ. 

Leo's reaction surprised her. Not that she really had time to consider what he would do. Leo's face broke out in a huge grin for about 2 seconds before suddenly falling and becoming serious when CJ's face registered only sadness. 

"What did you tell her?" asked Leo as he suddenly stopped the swing with his foot. 

"I told her you already have a wife and daughter. I told her the truth" said CJ bitterly. 

"You told her half the truth. Yeah, I have a wife and daughter. But I also have another child, Rose. CJ, I love her and I love being a part of her life. Why can't we tell her the truth?" 

"Tell her the truth, she's 4 she can't keep a secret. You remember how she told Abbey that Jed was eating chili dogs and fries instead of salad" 

They both chuckled at the memory for a second before resuming their serious discussion. 

"When you are ready to tell the world about Rose, then we can discuss telling her the truth. Until them things stay the way they are" 

Leo dropped his head into his hands and mumbled something CJ couldn't quite understand. 

"What, I can't hear you when you..." 

"I'm ready" 

"No, Leo, you're not. You haven't told your wife about me, I'm willing to bet. And you haven't told Mallory, either, if you haven't told Jenny." 

"I told Jed." 

"What?" 

"I told Jed." 

"Oh God... Leo, this isn't the way things are supposed to happen..." She looked up at him with tears in her eyes. "Now isn't exactly the best time to tell anyone about this." 

"Then when?" he asked, raising his voice in something akin to anger. 

"After you've told Jenny." 

"And what if I don't want to tell Jenny?" he asked. "What then? Are you going to deny me my daughter for that, CJ?" 

"NO!" She realized that Jed and Abbey were staring at them from the window, and hushed her voice, shivering in her coat. "Leo, please, this is hard enough; don't make it worse by being stupid." 

"I'm not being stupid. So are you going to deny me my daughter?" he asked again. 

"Of course not. For some strange reason, she adores you" said CJ sarcastically. "If we win this thing tonight we're all going to Washington. You'll see her all the time, just like now. Nothing's going to change." 

"And if we don't win, what then?" whispered Leo. 

"Don't know. I've tried not to think about that." admitted CJ 

"Me neither" said Leo quietly. "God CJ, I love her so much" 

Leo leaned over again and propped his head up with his hands. CJ took one look at him sitting there, on the verge of tears and all her resolve just melted away. She scooted over a little and after hesitating for just a second as she looked around for prying eyes, she reached out and gently rubbed his back. 

"I know you do. And she loves you too. God, Leo...what the hell are we going to do?" 

Just as she asked that Josh appeared in the doorway and said they were starting to hear early numbers on the television. He disappeared back into the house as quickly as he had appeared, not seeming shocked at the sight of CJ rubbing Leo's back and Leo on the verge of tears. 

Leo took a deep breath and sat up. "Well, we're going to go inside and hear the early numbers, and warm up before we get goddamn frostbite," he said firmly. "And we'll go from there." 

"Okay." 

They went inside, holding hands like old friends, each drawing comfort from the contact. 

Rose ran up to them. "Mommy, Uncle Jed gave me a puzzle to play with and I did it all by myself! It has a picture of Noah and the ark on it! Come see! You, too, Leo!" She grabbed them both by the hands and dragged them into the living room, where she'd set her puzzle up on the coffee table. "See?" 

"Wow, you're a really smart little girl!" Leo praised, getting down on her level to look at the puzzle. 

Rose looked up at her mother and beamed. CJ returned the smile and gave Leo's hand a squeeze before dropping it and heading into the kitchen in search of a cup of coffee. 

She found Jed sitting at the counter with a donut and a cup of coffee. 

"Eating in here so Abbey doesn't see the donut" teased CJ. 

"Yeah, something like that. Where are Rose and Leo?" 

"I think Leo is still admiring the puzzle she did" sighed CJ as she poured a cup of coffee for herself. 

"They make quite a pair" said Jed as he carefully searched CJ's face for a reaction. 

"Leo told me you know about Rose" said CJ quietly. 

"Good" said Jed. "How about we go see how things are turning out. Grab Leo and Rose and meet us in the den" 

Jed smiled and patted CJ on the arm as he took another donut with him. 

CJ found some juice for Rose and went to the living room to find them. 

Rose was sitting on Leo's lap, pointing to the puzzle and giggling wildly. "No, silly, that's an elephant, not a buffalo!" she cried. 

"Oh, well, they'r eboth big and brown..." 

"No!! An elephant is grey!" 

"Unless he's covered in mud," Leo pointed out. 

"Why would he be muddy?" Rose asked, suddenly confused. She knew elephants were grey -- how could they be brown and muddy? 

"Elephants don't sweat, Rosie," Leo explained. "So they get really hot in the sun. They take mud baths to cool down." 

"Oh." 

CJ couldn't help but giggle at the two of them. Leo looked up and smiled. 

"Honey, here's some juice. Why don't you go into the den, Uncle Jed is in there, I think he has donuts" said CJ. 

Rose kissed Leo soundly on the cheek and climbed down to look for Uncle Jed and his stash of junk food. 

"You ready to go in?" asked Leo. 

"As ready as I'll ever be. I just want to say something before we go in there" 

"OK" said Leo, not quite sure what to expect. 

CJ sat down on the couch and placed the coffee cup on the table in front of her. 

"I just wanted to say, that no matter what happens tonight I'm glad you hired me. It's been an experience that Rose and I will never forget." CJ said simply before leaning over and giving Leo a kiss on the cheek. 

"Thank you, for everything" whispered Leo. 

He stood first and held his hand out to CJ who took it without hesitation. 

The early numbers were looking good. But Toby withheld the champagne, saying something about "tempting fate". CJ whacked him upside the head with a magazine she picked up off of the floor. 

"Oh wound me with Children's Digest!" he cried, and she whapped him a few more times. 

There was general laughter around the room as he grabbed her by the waist, dipped her, and smooched her full on the lips. "Wow, Toby, if I'd known..." she purred on a giggle, knocking him over flat on his ass. 

"Ow!" 

"Uncle Toby!" Rose shouted, running over and jumping on him. All he could answer with was a strangled grunt of pain. 

More laughter. 

"CJ, you really ought to do the Jackal," Toby said when he finally recovered and had his little "niece" trapped on his lap. 

"But isn't that tempting fate?" she replied with a smirk. 

"No, that's unwinding and watching a great view." 

"What's the Jackal?" Jed inquired, and even Leo raised an eyebrow. 

"I lip-synch to a song and do some gestures, and..." she said, turning bright red. 

"Do it!" Jed thundered majestically. 

CJ mumbled some excuse about not having the music as Josh turned up the TV to get some more numbers. 

The numbers were good, very good. 

Cheers erupted through out the room as more hugging and kissing took place. 

As the returns started coming quicker the house became more and more frenzied. Rose was running about getting more wound up by the minute. Her energy was fueled by too much apple juice and at least one too many donuts, thanks to Uncle Jed. CJ cornered her over by the bookcase and tried to convince her to sit down for a while to no avail. Leo saw that CJ was getting frustrated and he went over to see if he could help. He was able to convince Rose to follow him to the kitchen for a snack that wasn't overprocessed or powdered. 

They sat side by side on stools at the counter eating ham sandwiches and watching CNN. 

"Leo, if Uncle Jed is the president do we all get to live at the White House?" asked Rose. 

Leo chuckled at her and reached over to ruffle her hair. 

"No honey, only Uncle Jed and Aunt Abbey will live at the White House. The rest of us will work there. You'll be able to visit them." answered Leo as he turned his attention back to CNN. More good numbers were coming through. 

"Oh, OK" said Rose. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

A little after midnight CNN, MSNBC and all the other big networks declared Josiah Bartlet the next President of the United States. Chaos broke out in the farmhouse and quickly spread out the doors into the cold November evening. 

Rose had finally fallen asleep a little after 11 only to wake up again when the cheering started. She flew into her mother's arms full of hugs and kisses. Leo smiled at them from the other side of the room as he made his way over to them. He pulled both of them into a huge hug. He kissed Rose on the forehead and reached up to kiss CJ's cheek. CJ smiled and returned the kiss. 

"We did it" grinned Leo. 

"We sure did" smiled CJ. 

Four hours later Rose was still running around. Jed had been on TV to give his victory speech, he had watched the concession speech and he too was running on empty. Abbey was in the kitchen trying to convince him to get some sleep when Leo wandered in looking for CJ. 

"I think I saw her wrap Rose up in a blanket and take her out to the swing to try and settle her down" said Abbey. "Help me convince Mr. President here that some sleep would be a good idea" teased Abbey. 

"Jed, go to sleep" said Leo firmly but without much conviction. "OK, I tried" he smirked as he kissed Abbey. 

"Hey, what about me?" asked Jed woundedly. 

Leo smirked again and planted a kiss on the cheek of his best friend. 

"Leo, did you call Jenny?" 

"Not yet" said Leo quietly. 

And with those words he walked out of the room and headed for the front porch. He didn't find CJ but he did find Rose. She was sound asleep on the swing, nestled in between a sleeping Josh and an awake but extremely comfortable Donna. Sam was asleep in the rocker wrapped up in a quilt. 

"CJ's packing up her stuff so she can take Rose home for a few hours." whispered Donna when Leo looked at her with questioning eyes. 

"OK" 

Leo walked out to the pond and pulled out his cellphone to call Jenny. 

Jenny's sleepy voice answered after the eighth ring. "He...ll...o?" 

"Hi." 

"Leo? What on... it's five in the morning!" 

"Yeah. So?" 

"I was sleeping." 

"And I'm celebrating." 

"He... he got it?" 

"Yeah. You're talking to the President-Elect's Chief of Staff." 

"Wow. There's something about that title..." 

"Yeah. Look, Jenny, there's something I need to tell you, and it's... it's..." 

"Leo, can it wait until I'm actually awake?" 

He took a deep breath. "Yeah. Sorry I woke you up." 

Leo jabbed the button and turned the phone off. He wandered back towards the front of the house. CJ had just put a sleeping Rose in the car. She waved him over. He leaned in and kissed Rose's cheek. He turned to CJ, his face showing a sad smile. CJ reached up and kissed his cheek. 

"We both need to get some sleep now. After you've talked to Jenny then we can figure this whole thing out." 

"I called her" whispered Leo. 

"And you told her everything over the phone?" asked CJ, utterly shocked. 

"Not exactly. I woke her up and she basically cut me off" admitted Leo. 

"Oh. Look, I've got to go. I'll be back later today" said CJ as she quickly slipped into the car. 

As she pulled out of the driveway Leo turned back towards the house, determined to get a few hours of sleep himself. 

But he couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned the rest of the night. 

Meanwhile, CJ had carted Rose back to the little apartment they were renting and tucked her into her little bed. She sighed, realizing that she'd have to buy a bigger bed for her soon. 

Was there even money for that? Would she be able to raise her daughter on $600 a week, and a little extra income from Richard's estate? 

Rose was a very rich little girl, but nearly all of the money was tied up in trusts. 


	4. You Could Drive a Person Crazy 4

**You Could Drive a Person Crazy**

**by: Ginny and Becky**

**Pairing(s):** CJ/Leo  
**Category(s):** Alternate Universe  
**Rating:** MATURE  
**Disclaimer:** The usual, not mine etc.  
**Summary:** CJ and Leo, Alternate Universe  
**Feedback:** Feedback is appreciated.  


* * *

Part4 

The next few months were a whirlwind of activity. CJ had bought a townhouse for herself and Rose a mile from the White House. It wasn't cheap but she had managed to liquidate some of the money Richard had left for Rose. She had convinced Desiree to come to Washington with them. CJ enrolled Rose in a preschool a few blocks from home. Things were moving along quickly towards Inauguration Day, well, most things were moving forward. 

Leo and CJ, well, they weren't moving...period. Leo had tried to tell Jenny about CJ and Rose but something always seemed to get in the way. He was too busy, she was too busy, one of them was out of town or in most cases, he just plain chickened out. 

One January 16th Leo and CJ were sitting at her kitchen table going over the last minute details for the Inauguration. They had been working for 3 hours and the clock was nearing midnight. 

"So have we covered all of the details?" asked Leo as he reached for his coffee mug. 

"Yeah, all except one" said CJ sarcastically, rolling her eyes. 

"What detail would that be..." 

Leo stopped short when he realized exactly what detail CJ was referring to. He had promised her that before Jed took the oath he would tell Jenny everything. He was down to three days and counting. 

"Want me to do this? Do you want me to do this right now?" he asked, gettign a little angry. What did she expect him to do? 

"Maybe you should," she said quietly. "Get it over with, already." 

"Hello, Jenny -- yeah, I cheated on you and I have an almost-four-year-old daughter named Rose. Is that what you want me to say?" 

"Dammit, Leo, I don't know what you're going to say, but you'd better just say it, or it'll never get said." CJ stood up and went to the fridge to get a bottle of water. Her purifier was on the fritz again. 

"And if I don't, what? I never see Rose again?" asked Leo bitterly. 

"You know, I'm a little sick of hearing that line. You know I won't keep you from Rose. But for God's sake Leo, there's more to this story than your relationship with Rose." yelled CJ. 

It took a second for Leo to catch her meaning. The proverbial light bulb went on over his head as he took a deep breath. 

"Us?" he asked quietly. 

"Yeah Leo, us. Is there even an 'us' anymore. Is there a future for us. Or have I been wasting the last 4 years of my life waiting for you." 

"You weren't exactly waiting around twiddling you thumbs, Claudia Jean, you got married to Richard and had a perfect little life for a while, until he found himself a little blond..." 

Leo stopped short when he realized he had crossed at line with that comment. He stared at CJ, motionless. That was until the bottle of water came flying at his head with alarming force. He ducked as the bottle hit the wall behind him. CJ's hand flew to her mouth and she ran out the sliding glass door to the patio. 

Leo wisely decided to let her be alone. He cleaned up the water and went to check on Rose. 

His daughter was curled up under her blankets, her thumb in her mouth, her blonde curls fanned out over the pillow, a little bit of a smile on her face as she slept. He bent down to brush a kiss over her forehead, and to tuck the blankets a little closer around her. "Sleep well, sweetpea," he whispered. "I love you." 

He stood up and turned around to see CJ standing in the doorway, her features cold and motionless. "I'm sorry, CJ," he said softly. 

"Maybe you are, but sorry doesn't fix everything, Leo," she said, turning and heading back downstairs. He followed her and they sat back down at the table, this time, across from each other, the distance between them over the tabletop like an unbreachable gulf. 

"I know sorry doesn't fix everything, CJ, and..." 

"Call Jenny, please." She held out her hand, palm up on the tabletop. "I'll be here with you while you do it, I promise," she whispered, waiting for him to take her hand. 

He laid his hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. 

"Okay," he said, taking a deep breath and grabbing his cellphone from where it sat, alone and neglected, next to their pile of paperwork. "Here goes everything." he punched the speed dial, and waited for his wife. "Hi, Jenny. Yeah, we're almost done here, I think. But that's not why I'm calling. I need to tell you something." He looked at CJ for encouragement. 

CJ nodded and gave his hand another squeeze. 

A half an hour later Leo and Jenny made plans to meet the next day to talk and/or scream some more. He gently hung up the phone and sighed. CJ silently stood up and held out her hand to him. He took it and let her lead him to the bedroom. She steered him towards the bed and shut the door behind her. 

"CJ I can't, not tonight.." 

"Sshh" she said placing her fingers over his lips. "I know, it's ok" 

He smiled slightly as CJ removed his tie and dress shirt. She knelt down to take off his shoes and socks. He stood wearily and slipped his pants off. Sitting back down on the bed he moved CJ so she stood in between his knees. He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his forehead on her stomach as she ran her hands through his sandy hair. She leaned over to kiss the top of his head as she reached behind her and unclasped his hands. She pulled him to his feet long enough to pull down the pale green comforter. He climbed in and all but collapsed from sheer physical and mental exhaustion. 

CJ covered him up and went to the bathroom to change. When she returned to the bedroom Leo was fast asleep, snoring softly. She nudged him over enough so she could crawl in next to him. Wrapping him up in her arms was the last thing she remembered doing before she too fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. 

When she awoke, he wasn't in bed with her anymore. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, listening for the tell-tale sounds of morning activity. It was only 6:30, so Rose shouldn't have gone to school yet. 

She padded into the bathroom, then downstairs a few minutes later, where she found Leo and Rose in the kitchen, Leo showing her how to crack an egg without getting shells in the bowl. 

"Good morning," CJ said with a smile. 

"Hi mommy" called Rose from the stool on which she was perched. 

"Hey" said Leo as he pulled a piece of shell out of the bowl. 

"Leo's teaching me how to cook" stated Rose. 

"Oh, that should be interesting" commented CJ with a wry smile. 

"Shaddup" smirked Leo. "Leave us alone and let us work" 

"OK" agreed CJ as she to get the newspaper off the front steps. She sat and read while Leo and Rose made breakfast. 

Fifteen minutes later the three of them were at the kitchen table eating scrambled eggs and toast. Even CJ had to admit the eggs tasted pretty good. 

Rose finished her breakfast and climbed down from her chair. "I'm gonna go watch Pooh, Mommy," she announced, trotting off. 

"She's obsessed with that video," CJ sighed, putting her head in her hands. 

"Well, little kids like repetition." 

She looke dup at him. "So says the wise and brilliant father, yes?" 

"Yes." 

"Okay." She put her head back in her hands and sighed again. "So, what did Jenny say? I mean, I know it's not any of my business, but it is my business, and..." 

"It is your business, let's be clear about that. She told me she'd had some suspicions for a while now. Not anything specific, she didn't know it was you or anything like that. We've both known for a long time that our marriage was over. But neither one of us wanted to be the first to say it aloud. So, last night I said it. I told her I want a divorce" 

"But what about Rose, Leo you were supposed to tell her everything. You made a..." 

"CJ" Leo said, cutting her off. "I did tell her everything. I told her about you, about Rose, everything" 

Tears sprang to CJ's eyes as she crossed the room to hug him. 

"Now what" she mumbled into his shoulder. 

"Jenny and I are meeting for lunch today" 

"Do you... want me to come?" 

"No, no, CJ, it'll just make things that much harder, and I... I want to protect you for now, okay? Please let me?" 

"Yeah." She nodded once. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

While Rose was at school and Leo was at lunch with Jenny, CJ took a few hours to wander around the city. She blended in with the tourists, did a little shopping and generally killed some time while trying not to panic about the whole situation. She bought some more winter clothes for Rose and a few things for herself. 

She got back home around 3:00. Desiree had picked up Rose from school and taken her out for the afternoon. She checked her messages for something from Leo. Nothing from him but there were messages from Toby, Carol and Josh. Deciding the messages could wait for a while she pulled out some files and read on the couch, waiting impatiently. 

Finally at 4:00 she heard someone knock softly on the door. She opened it to find Leo standing there, holding a bouquet of flowers and sporting a weary smile. 

"Hi," she said, a little surprised. 

"It's a peace offering." 

"For.... Leo, what did you do?!" 

"We're going to do a trial separation first." 

"LEO!" 

"I know, I know, but it's... it's what she wants." 

"IT'S WHAT SHE WANTS??!! What about what you want, what we want?" yelled CJ. 

"Oh God, I knew this would happen" muttered Leo as he entered the apartment and tossed the flowers on the coffee table. "Let me explain" 

"No, I don't think I will" stated CJ as she picked up the flowers, shoved them in his hand and pushed him towards the door. 

He planted his feet firmly and refused to budge. "I am not going anywhere until you listen to me," he said. 

"Leo, I don't want to listen to you -- I listened to you before, and... and look at what's happened to me, to my life! I have a daughter that you seem to be so ashamed of -- you won't even claim her publically! The only reason she's not slapped with being illegitimate is that she was born after I married Richard! And you're ashamed of me, of our relationship, well, fine! Be that way -- I don't want you in my house unless you're here to see Rose or I've invited you to do business. Get out, now." Her voice was cold ice over steel. 

Leo nodded silently and left without another word. He drove around for a while, not really having anywhere to go. He couldn't go home, he couldn't go back to CJ's, he didn't have an office, yet. He considered going to Margaret's but he knew if he did that he would have to explain everything. He was pretty sure she had a good idea of what had happened years ago but he wasn't ready to admit it to her face. So Leo parked along the mall and wandered around the streets of DC keeping a safe distance between him and the many bars that lined the streets. 

He wound up sitting beneath Lincoln's feet, his head in his hands, wishing he had never been so stupid. 

"Where's Leo?" Rose asked, getting a bottle of juice. "I want to show him my new Tigger dollie." 

"Leo had to go home, sweetie," CJ said weakly. "Go on back out and watch the movie, okay?" 

"OK" she said, satisfied with CJ's answer. 

CJ went back to the table to work while Rose watched TV and played with her dolls. 

At bedtime she whined for a minute about not being able to kiss Leo goodnight but promised her that she would see him soon. It was a promise that CJ intended to keep, no matter how hard it was on her. 

~~~~~~~~~~ 

January 20th dawned cold and bright. CJ sent Rose to school for a while. Desiree was going to pick her up and bring her over to watch "Uncle Jed" be sworn in as the President of the United States. 

CJ hadn't seen very much of Leo over the past few days. When they were together it was all business. He hadn't been over to the house except to pick Rose up and take her to dinner two days earlier. He had dropped her at the door saying he needed to go home and do some work. That, of course was just a lie. He actually went to the hotel room he had rented for himself after he finally left the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. 

CJ was worried about him, though she tried her best to hide it. Finally, she decided to just call and make sure he was all right. 

She called his cellphone number, and waited and waited. There was no answer, and she waited some more for the voicemail to kick in. "Leo, it's CJ," she said softly. "I want you to come over when you get this \-- it doesn't matter when, okay, because I'll open the door no matter what time it is. Just come, please." Her voice dropped to a whisper, as she said, "I love you." 

Leo was just getting out of the shower when he heard his cell phone ringing. He let the voicemail pick it up and he shaved and got dressed before listening to the message. 

By the time CJ's message had finished he was half way out the door, tie still undone, hair barely combed and a piece of toast in one hand. He arrived at CJ's door in record time. He had finished the toast and smoothed down his hair during the drive over but his tie was still undone. 

"Hi" he said nervously as he fidgeted with his suspenders. 

"Hi yourself" said CJ as she reached out to grab the suspenders. She proceeded to pull him to her in one swift motion until their lips met and all their worries melted away. 

"I'm sorry, I was... I was an idiot," she confessed, kissing him again. "I'm sorry." 

"Whoa, CJ... this is... where's Rose?" 

"Desiree took her to school already," CJ said with a smile. 

"And..." 

"And I'm sorry I was an idiot." 

"But..." 

"And I want you, Leo. Now." 

"Now? Jed is taking the oath of office in a little over 3 hours" he said checking his watch. 

"Yeah, and it's been a long time Leo. But I'm pretty sure it won't take 3 hours." teased CJ as she pulled his tie off and hooked a well manuicured finger around his suspenders and pulled him towards the bedroom. 

"OK, I think I'll just stop talking now" said Leo with a grin. 

"Good idea, Mr. Chief of Staff" said CJ with a wink. 

"I don't want to move," Leo mumbled about an hour and a half later. His head was resting between CJ's breasts and his hands were idly caressing her side. 

"So don't," she said with a smile. "Did I wear you out?" 

"Ah... yeah." 

"Sorry." She ruffled his hair with one hand and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. "I missed you so much." 

"I missed you too. I'm sorry, for everything" he whispered. 

"I know" said CJ as she cast a glance at the clock. "OK, time to get up. We have to get going and I'm starving. How about making some eggs for us?" she said padding into the bathroom. 

"Eggs. Sure, just use me and then expect me to cook for you" teased Leo. 

"Yep" yelled CJ from the bathroom. 

An little over an over later they were on their way to the Capitol in Leo's car. They had talked over breakfast and Leo told her that he and Jenny were having dinner the following night and he was going to ask for a divorce. The trial separation was a stupid idea, it was only prolonging the inevitable. Deep down he was sure Jenny knew that. 

"It's okay, Leo, so long as I have you under my claws here," she teased with a smile. "Desiree is going to have Rose there with the President, waiting for us. Are you sure you want..." 

"She is my daughter. Of course I'm going to hold her," Leo snapped, then stopped and stared at CJ for a long moment. "I'm sorry, I..." 

"It's okay," she assured him. "Let's just get there, okay?" 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

A little over an hour later they stood together behind Jed, Abbey and the girls. Leo and CJ were side by side, shoulder to shoulder. True to his word, Leo held Rose as they watched her beloved Uncle Jed take the oath of office. For a little while CJ allowed herself to bask in the feeling that they were truly becoming a family. Deep down she wasn't sure what the future held for the three of them. But there were certain things she was sure of, her love for Rose, her love for Leo and the love they both had for her. 

As CJ listened to President Josiah Bartlet give his address she glanced over at Leo and their daughter. Rose was on his lap, alternately playing with his tie and with the Barbie doll Desiree had brought along as a distraction. Leo looked at CJ and smiled as he held out his hand towards her. She took it and gave it a quick squeeze before dropping it. She longed for the day when they would be free to be a couple in public. But for now, the secrets they shared between the two them would have to be enough. Some day things would be different, she thought to herself. She held on to that thought with all her might as she turned her attention back to the podium. 

Jed had almost finished his speech, when Rose said a little louder than CJ could stand, "Mommy, Leo, I have to go potty!" 

The new President tried as hard as he could to pretend he hadn't heard that, but it was a losing battle, and he started to cough into the microphone. 

CJ's cheeks burned in embarrassment, but she took Rose's little hand and led her off the stage as the crowd began to laugh. 

Fifteen minutes later CJ and Rose had managed to work their way back through the crowds to meet up with Leo and Jed. CJ tried to apologize to Jed who politely told her it wasn't necessary. 

Rose stayed with them for lunch and then Desiree took her back to the house. Late in the afternoon Rose was sitting on CJ's bed watching her get ready for the many balls she was scheduled to attend that evening. 

"Mommy who are you going to the ball with?" 

"Oh, I don't have a date for the ball. But I'm going to be there with Leo, Josh, Toby, Sam, Uncle Jed and Aunt Abbey, a whole bunch of people you know." said CJ as she started to put on her makeup. 

"But don't you need a date to dance with" asked Rose. 

"No, I'm sure I'll dance with lots of people tonight" 

"Will you dance with Leo?" 

"I'm sure I will, honey" said CJ as she felt herself blush. 

"Oh good" said Rose happily. 

"Rosie, baby.... why are you so eager to fix me up with Leo?" CJ asked, stuffing some things in her handbag. 

"Huh?" 

"Why do you want me to dance with Leo so much?" CJ rephrased the question. 

"Because you love him, and I love him, and you two are going to get married someday!" Rose said with a content smile. 

"Sweetheart... why do you think that?" CJ asked carefully. 

"Because Leo told me." 

CJ dropped her bag on the floor. 

"Leo told you what?" asked CJ quickly. 

"He told me that one day the two of you are going to get married. So, when is the wedding?" asked Rose excitedly. 

"Uh, we're not planning...I mean, right now...honey why don't you go in the closet and find my silver shoes" stammered CJ hoping to change the subject quickly. 

"But Mommy...." 

"Now, Rose, please." 

"Mommy, don't you love Leo?" Rose whispered, her eyes wide as she handed her mother the silver shoes -- the shoes she called "Mommy's Cinderella Shoes". 

"Of course I do, it's just..." 

"Don't you want to marry him?" 

"Rose, I don't want you to talk to *anyone* about this, not even Leo, do you understand me?!" CJ shouted. 

Rose's eyes filled with tears and her lip trembled. 

CJ regreted the words as soon as she had said them. She sat down on the bed and pulled Rose into her arms, wiping away her tears while trying not to shed any of her own. 

"I'm sorry I yelled, honey. It's just that some grown up things are private and some are really complicated. Tell you what, tomorrow you and I will spend some time together and talk." 

"Can we talk about whatever I want?" asked Rose hopefully. 

CJ drew a deep breath; she was quite sure she was digging herself deeper and deeper into a hole with this conversation. 

"Sure honey, whatever you want" agreed CJ as she plastered on a smile. "Now go and see what Desiree's making you for dinner". 

On an impulse CJ picked up the phone and dialed Leo's cell. 

"Leo McGarry, you are drving me crazy" she yelled into the phone before he had a chance to speak. 

"CJ?" 

"Of course. Now what's this about telling my daughter that we are going to get married someday?" 

"Just a second Claudia Jean, I think the correct term is our daughter" teased Leo. "What, don't you think we'll get married someday?" 

"Yeah, I do but I have a 4 year old here probably hoping that you'll be bringing a glass slipper over tomorrow and that we'll be married by the weekend." 

"And live happily ever after" teased Leo. 

"It's not funny Leo" said CJ trying her best not to laugh. 

"Well, your laughter tells me, yes, indeed it is funny. Now I will respect your wishes and not discuss the matter with Rose until we are prepared to set a date. Are you almost ready to go?" asked Leo as he was shrugging on his tuxedo jacket. 

"Yeah, give me 20 minutes" 

"Fine, that gives me just enough time" said Leo. 

"Time for what?" asked CJ curiously. 

"Time to go pick a pumpkin of course. See you in a little while. I love you" he said as he hung up. 

CJ just stared at the phone and started to laugh. 

"Well, I guess if I didn't love him so much he wouldn't drive me so crazy" she muttered to herself as she slipped on her shoes. 

She went downstairs to find Rose and Desiree sitting at the table, eating fish sticks and curly fries. "Oh, Mommy, you look pretty!" Rose said, bouncing in her chair. 

"Thank you, sweetie," CJ murmured, bending down to kiss her on the top of the head. "Now, you behave for Desiree," she scolded. "I know you're excited, but..." 

"Can I go with you to the White House tomorrow? Mrs. Landingham said she'd make me cookies...." 

"Little one, I think you've had enough cookies this campaign to float a boat!" 

"But mommy, she's making my favorite kind" whined Rose. 

"We'll talk about it in the morning, sweetie. I have to go. I love you." said CJ as she heard a knock on the door. 

"Leo" yelled Rose as she slid off of her seat. 

Desiree managed to grab her and wipe off her greasy hands before she threw her arms around Leo's waist. Ten minutes later CJ was able to pry Rose from Leo's lap and deposit her in front of a Winnie-the-Pooh video without too much force. 

Leo and CJ walked out into the cold January night side by side, his hand restly lightly on the small of her back. The night's festivities made for heavier traffic than usual so they had time to relax in the limo on the way. Leo held CJ's hand as he gazed out the window. He had been quiet since they left CJ's house. 

"Leo, you ok?" asked CJ as she reached up to caress his cheek. 

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking about our first limo ride, the night we met" 

"Seems like a lifetime ago" said CJ as she moved closer to him. 

She picked up his left hand and absently ran her thumb over his knuckles. Something was different. She looked down at his hand; he had taken off his wedding ring. He looked at her and smiled. 

"I figured it was time" he whispered as he leaned over to kiss her. 

"Okay," she whispered with a little smile. "But this better not have anything to do with Rose saying we're going to get married," she warned with a slight laugh. 

"Not at all. It's all about you. And me. And us." He paused. "There is an us, isn't there?" Leo asked worriedly. 

"Of course there's an us, Leo," CJ assured him, patting his hair back into place with an indulgent smile. "There's been an us since that first night, even if I didn't..." 

"Shh," he whispered, leaning in to kiss her again. 

They arrived at the first ball ten minutes later, a little disheveled but happy. 

They spent the evening dancing, laughing and eating, all the while mingling enough so people wouldn't exactly know they were together. CJ made sure to dance with Toby, Sam, Josh and of course The President in addition to Leo. More than once she and Leo found themselves dancing a little too closely in front of the hundreds of cameras that were present everywhere they went. 

It was nearly dawn by the time they left the last party. They crawled back into the limo, exhausted but happier than they had been in a long, long time. 

She smiled shyly at him, and asked, "Do you want... want to spend the rest of the night at my place?" 

"There is nothing I'd like more," he said honestly. 

They went back to the townhouse, and quietly let themselves in. The house was dark, aside from a single lamp in the living room that Desiree had left on for CJ's benefit, and everything was silent. 

CJ took Leo by the hand and led him upstairs, carefully avoiding the spots on the steps that creaked. 

They felt like teenagers who were sneaking around after curfew. They had all but dissolved into matching cases of the giggles by the time the shut the bedroom door behind them. 

"Sshh" said CJ as she dropped her bag on the dresser. 

Leo kicked off his shoes and threw himself on the bed, landing with a thud on a hardcover book. 

"Owww" he said tossing it aside without even looking at it. 

CJ just looked at him and smiled as she shed her own shoes. She stood with her back to Leo, waiting for him to unzip her. And she waited. 

"Leo" she called over her shoulder. 

"What?" he answered drowsily as he opened one eye. "Oh, sorry" he laughed as he propped himself up and unzipped her dress. 

She rolled her eyes, but couldn't keep the smile off of her lips as she shed the dress and donned a pair of plaid flannel lounge pants and a heavy knit tunic. 

"Hey, that's awfully hard to take off," he pointed out. 

"I'm too tired to let you take it off," she mumbled, climbing under the covers. "And at least it's warm. Let's just go to sleep." 

"Sleep?" cried Leo trying to sound wounded but in reality he was just as tired. 

He climbed off the bed to shed his jacket, tie, shirt, pants and socks. He got himself a drink of water and came back in the room to find CJ sound asleep already. Nudging her over gently he climbed in next to her and promptly fell asleep. 

Two hours later they woke up to the sound of soft knocking and a voice from the hallway. 

"Mommy, mommy, did you have fun at the ball?" 

The door creaked open slowly, and a little blonde head peeped in. "Mommy?" 

"Shh, Rosie -- Mommy's sleeping," Leo mumbled. 

"Leo?" 

"Yeah." 

"Oh, okay. I'm gonna go watch Pooh, 'kay?" 

"Okay, baby doll." 

"I'm not a baby doll!" she protested, giggling. 

"Okay, sweetheart," Leo grumbled, pulling the pillow over his head. 

He slowly removed the pillow from his face and threw it at CJ. 

"Thanks for the backup there, dear" he teased. 

"Sorry, I was..a little.." 

"Speechless" he said finishing her thought. 

"Yeah, something like that. Next time we lock the door" she groaned as she sat up and tried to shake the cobwebs from her head. A quick glance at the clock showed she had only had a precious 2 hours of sleep. 

Leo hauled himself off the bed and pulled on his pants. CJ went off in the direction of the bathroom. 

There was a crash and a scream from downstairs, and CJ was down the stairs in a flash, with Leo on her heels. 

Rose was on the floor in the livingroom, with a bookshelf suspended barely an inch above her. "MOMMY!" she screamed. 

Leo pulled the bookshelf up enough so CJ could slide Rose out. He lowered it to the ground and turned his attention to CJ. 

"Is she ok?" he asked breathlessly. 

"Yeah, I think she's fine" said CJ as she checked Rose out from head to toe. 

"I'm fine mommy, I was just scared" said Rose as the tears began to fall. 

Leo picked her up and carried her to the couch. 

"Are you sure you're not hurt, sweetie?" he asked as he wiped away her tears. 

"I'm ok. Can I go to the White House for cookies today?" 

"She's fine," CJ whispered, closing her eyes and beginning to cry. 

"Oh my God!" Desiree cried, rushing into the room in her pajamas and fuzzy slippers. "What happened??!" 

Leo took Rose into the kitchen to get her something to eat while CJ told Desiree what happened and they picked up the books and the bookcase. 

Two hours later CJ and Leo walked in to the West Wing with Rose in between them holding both their hands. Rose immediately took off in search of Mrs. Landingham and her cookies. CJ and Leo went to their respective offices to try and get organized. 

A while later, Rose came into CJ's office and watched her mother hanging a picture on the wall. "Hi, Mommy." 

"Hi, sweetness -- did you get your cookie?" CJ asked, grunting as she finally got it to hang on the nail. 

"Chocolate chip," Rose replied, nibbling delicately on a cookie. She was wearing a dress, and Mommy always told her to be careful about crumbs and spills when she was wearing a dress. 

"That's nice" replied CJ a little distracted. She reached for another picture to hang up as Toby poked his head in the door. 

"Uncle Toby" said Rose as she crossed the room and threw herself in his arms. 

"And how are you today, Miss Rosita?" he asked as he stole a bite of her cookie. 

"I'm good. Here, you can have half" she said, breaking the cookie in two. 

"Thanks" said Toby as he sat down on the only free surface of the room, CJ's chair. Rose immediately climbed up into his lap. 

"Hey Toby, don't you have work to do, an office to organize?" asked CJ as she struggled to get the picture to hand straight. 

"Nope -- what do you think I was doing after the Ball last night?" Toby replied with a smirk. "Look, little miss Rosita, I need to talk to your mom. Can you go find someone to bug?" 

"I don't bug people," Rose said, a little hurt, as she left the room. Toby got up and shut the door behind her. 

"What?" CJ asked, a little miffed at the stupid picture. 

"Are you and Leo having an affair?" Toby asked, point blank. 

The picture crashed to the floor, the glass cracking but not shattering all over the office. 

"Guess, I have my answer" said Toby as he reached over to steer CJ to the chair and pick up the picture. "How long?" 

CJ didn't respond at first, she just stared at her hands, which were fidgeting in her lap. Toby walked over to her. He stopped in front of her and knelt down. His hand reached out to take hers. 

"CJ, how long?" he repeated. 

"Uh, this time?" she asked without looking at him. 

"This time? Ok, I can see this may take a while. Let me go make sure Rose is all right where she is and then you and I are going to take a walk. OK?" 

"Fine" whispered CJ. 

He left, and when he came back, he took her out to the frozen rose garden, where they walked around aimlessly. 

"So..." he began. "I take it this has been going on a while?" 

"Yes. And no." 

"CJ, being vague isn't helping my mental disposition any, trust me." 

"We had a one-night stand a few years ago, then we had another one-time, and... since the California Primary," she admitted in a whisper. 

"Is he Rose's father?" 

She nodded slowly, once. 

"Why didn't you just tell me, CJ? You know I can keep a secret," Toby sighed in exasperation. 

"I don't know." she sighed as she sat down on a cold marble bench. 

"OK. So who knows." he asked as he rubbed his hands together to get warm. 

"Me, Leo, you, The President, maybe Abbey, Jenny. Richard knew, but it wasn't important to him. He loved her as if she was his own." 

"Jenny knows?" 

"Yeah, Leo told her right after the election. She's giving him a divorce" 

Toby took a deep breath, trying to digest all that CJ had just told him. 

"So, this is serious, you and Leo?" 

"Yeah, he wants to marry me. I want to marry him. The three of us want to be a family" 

"Does this mean Rose knows?" asked Toby in surprise. 

"No" laughed CJ, "she's 4, getting her to keep a secret is like getting the President to voluntarily eat salad for lunch, it's just not going to happen. She's crazy about Leo, knowing that he is her father couldn't make her love him any more. We'll tell her when the time is right" 

"Are you ready for all this. For the fallout, for the media coverage?" asked Toby quietly. 

"We have to be, we're in too far to turn back now. Toby, I'm crazy about him" smiled CJ. 

"Some people might say you're just crazy" he said with a smile as he reached over to kiss her forehead. 

"I'm sure they do" 

CJ wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and stood up. She held out her hand and pulled Toby to his feet. They walked a few steps before he pulled on her hand to stop her. 

"What?" 

"Just remember, if you need anything, I'm here" 

"Thanks" she whispered as they walked back inside. 

"Yeah," Toby said, with a hint of a smile. 

They walked inside, arm in arm, as best friends should, and he dropped her off at her office, where she sighed as she surveyed the damage that, so far, had been wreaked. The picture in its frame was still propped up against the couch, various other things were in some sort of array or disarray, as the case may be, and there was an ever-growing stack of files on her desk already. 

She called Leo to find out where Rose had gotten to. He said she was sound asleep on his couch. CJ worked for a while and then met the rest of the senior staff in the Oval Office for a meeting. 

Halfway through that meeting Rose wandered in and deposited herself on Leo's lap. Leo didn't quite know what to do and he called for Margaret, who appeared and held out her hand for Rose. Jed waved her away and took Rose over to his desk. He pulled out a box of crayons and a coloring book. He settled her down in his big leather chair and gave her a wink before returning his attention back to his staff. 

CJ just smiled, because she knew now that everything was going to be all right. 

They went back to work, and when they finished the meeting, CJ took her daughter by the hand and led her back to her office, where Rose sat down and played with her Barbie dolls while CJ worked. 

"Hey mommy, can we do this everyday?" asked Rose. 

"Do what honey?" asked CJ from her desk where she was up to her elbows in paper. 

"Can I come to work with you everyday and play here?" asked Rose hopefully. 

"No" chuckled CJ. "Today was special. I think tomorrow you'll go back to school in the morning and Desiree will watch you in the afternoon. We can have dinner together, just like we did during the campaign. How does that sound?" 

"OK, I guess, but can I color in the Round Office another time" 

"Oval Office sweetie, and yes, I'm sure Uncle Jed will let you color in there another day." 

Someone stopped in the doorway of the office, and CJ glanced up to see Leo. "Hey, squirt -- can I talk to your mom a minute?" he asked, ruffling Rose's hair. 

"Sure," Rose replied with a wide smile. 

"Go out and show Carol your new Barbie," CJ instructed with a smile. Rose trotted obediently out the door, and Leo shut the door behind her. 

"What's wrong?" CJ asked as soon as the door was closed. 

"Jenny's not agreeing to the divorce." 

"WHAT" screamed CJ as she threw herself on the couch. Leo started to sit down next to her but decided to move to the other side of the room. He sat on the corner of the desk. 

"She's not agreeing to the divorce. I thought she would, she said she would. Then she talked to her..." 

"Lawyer" said CJ finishing the sentence for him. 

"Yeah. Look, I'm meeting with my attorney in the morning. I will work this out, I promise" he said with a sad smile. 

CJ returned the small smile. 

"Oh, by the way, I told Toby" she sighed. 


	5. You Could Drive a Person Crazy 5

**You Could Drive a Person Crazy**

**by: Ginny and Becky**

**Pairing(s):** CJ/Leo  
**Category(s):** Alternate Universe  
**Rating:** MATURE  
**Disclaimer:** The usual, not mine etc.  
**Summary:** CJ and Leo, Alternate Universe  
**Feedback:** Feedback is appreciated.  


* * *

Part 5 

"Why?" 

"Because he asked, Leo." She sighed and covered her eyes. "It's too obvious, even for us now!" 

"I love you, CJ, and that's what matters -- right? That we love each other and Rose?" 

"Yes, but... I don't want to live in sin, without the blessing of the Church, Leo!" 

"Oh" said Leo, sounding a little more shocked than he should have been. 

"If it was just the two of us, maybe I could do it, but it's not the two of us, it's the three of us. And I can't even consider it because of Rose." 

"Because of Rose" repeated Leo quietly. He took a deep breath while he comtemplated what he was going to say next. As he began to speak CJ cut him off. 

"Leo McGarry, don't even ask that, don't say it, don't even think it" she ordered. 

"How do you know what I was going to ask?" 

"It was written all over you face. You were wondering whether or not there would be an "us" if there was no Rose. And we've had this conversation before and I don't care to repeat it. I love you, Leo. I wouldn't love you any less if we didn't share the bond of a child." 

"But love's just not enough, is it?" he asked with a sad sigh. 

"No, Leo, not with Rose to consider in the middle of it all," CJ whispered, reaching up to stroke his cheek. "I love you, and nothing's going to change that, ever." 

"Yeah." 

"Leo, it's not your fault." 

"Jenny's just... stubborn. I'll talk to her, and... if I have to agree to something stupid, I will. I just want her out of my life." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Six months later, as spring turned to summer Jenny was out of his life. He didn't have to resort to drastic measures. He just had to ask for help from Mallory. She helped to convince Jenny that things were over and that she needed to get on with her life. 

Two weeks after signing the divorce papers Leo found himself standing outside Tiffany's. He took a deep breath and pushed the door open. 

~~~~ 

CJ stared at the pregnancy test, her eyes as wide as saucers, her hands trembling. 

"Mommy, what're you doing in there?!" Rose cried. "You promised we'd go to the park!" 

"I... I'll be out in a few minutes, sweetheart," CJ called back through the door, biting her lip and sighing. Another baby. 

She and Leo had never dicussed having more children. They both had unbelievably busy schedules, Rose kept them plenty busy and well, they weren't exactly kids anymore. She sighed to herself as she put the stick on top of the medicine cabinet and went to take Rose to the park. 

~~~~~~ 

Leo left Tiffany's with two pale blue bags. In one was a beautiful 2 carat emerald cut diamond for CJ and in the other was a small gold ring for Rose with the initials RAM. He would keep it until the wedding. 

When he got to CJ's there was a note to meet them at the park, by the swings. He changed and went to meet his girls. 

When he arrived, CJ was pushing Rose on her favorite swing, and the little girl flew higher and higher, giggling all the way. CJ had a small smile, but not like the usual grin she wore -- this was more introspective, subdued. 

"Hey," he called, waving. 

"Hi, Leo -- look at me!" Rose yelled, laughing as her mother pushed her higher. 

"Can you go by yourself for a while, baby?" CJ asked. "I'm getting a little tired." 

"Okay, Mommy!" 

Leo held out his hand and led CJ to a nearby bench. 

"You ok, you looked wiped out" he said as he kissed her cheek. 

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just need to catch up on a little sleep." said CJ wearily. 'Because 7 months from now we won't be getting any sleep' she thought to herself. 

They sat in silence watching Rose swing. Each holding in their hearts a secret. 

Later that night, after Rose was fast asleep, Leo sat on the front steps of the house while CJ talked on the phone to her parents. He reached down to feel the ring in his pocket as he thought about the perfect proposal. 

He felt a gentle pressure on his shoulder as she came out the door and sat down beside him. "Hey." 

"I thought..." 

"Dad had to run and take care of something. We need to talk." 

"I know." 

"Leo, I..." 

"Can I go first? Please?" 

She laughed. "Go ahead." 

He turned sideways to face her. Taking her hands into his he took a deep breath. 

"Claudia Jean, I love you more than anything, more than words can describe. I know our relationship has had more than it's share of rough spots but it's also had some pretty bright ones" he said as he motioned his head towards Rose's bedroom window. "What I'm trying to say is, it's time we became a real family, will you marry me?" he asked as he pulled the ring box out of his pocket. 

CJ could only nod her head yes as the tears began to fall. He slipped the ring on her ring and kissed her deeply. When they broke apart she was still speechless. 

"CJ, honey, could you say something, please" teased Leo. 

"How would you feel if our family got a little bigger?" 

"What?" 

"Leo.... I think.... no, I'm almost certain.... Oh God, Leo... I'm pregnant." Tears glistened in her eyes and she bit her lip hesitantly. "I don't... I can't do this without you." 

"Well, I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere, and we're going to get married, and..." 

"How about just... holding me for a while?" she suggested softly. 

They sat on the front porch side by side, his arm around her shoulders. They watched as a storm blew up across the city. About ten seconds after the first crash of thunder they heard little feet on the hardwood steps just inside the door. Leo reached back push the front door open enough for Rose to see them. She came out in her Winnie-the-Pooh pajamas and climbed into Leo's lap. 

CJ showed her the ring and Rose gasped in excitement. She kissed them both and starting to ask a million and one questions about the wedding. After they had satisfied her with enough information they watched the lightning and counted the seconds until they heard the claps of the thunder. When the rain started they ran inside and curled up on the couch. 

Somewhere around 1:00 in the morning Leo woke up to find a little arm flung across his face and a little hand tucked in his. And CJ's arms around his waist as she curled up from behind him. 

He smiled, thinking that this was the way a family should be, not the way it had been before. Jenny and Mallory, he still loved them both, but this was different in many ways. 

Rose's little lips opened and she began to snore, and CJ mumbled something in her sleep. 

Leo chuckled to himself and padded into the kitchen to get something to drink. He sat on a stool at the counter, thinking about how lucky he was. 

CJ woke up on the couch disoriented and stiff from sleeping so curled up. She saw the light was on in the kitchen so she got up to find Leo. She reached around him from behind and wrapped him in her arms. Sighing deeply she kissed the top of his head. He unwrapped her left hand and held it out in front of him to admire the ring. 

"It's beautiful, Leo." 

"Just like you. Oh, I have something else, for Rose. Wait here" he said as he slid off the stool and went to get the other bag. 

He opened the other ring box to show CJ. 

"Oh, Leo." she cried. "Rose will love it" 

"I know. That's why I got it for her." He smiled. "Nothing's too good for my ladies." 

"Aww.... and what happened if this baby is a boy?" 

"Still, nothing's too good for my gals." He kissed her. "You're worried about the baby, aren't you?" 

"Yeah -- Rose was early, and they said any other children I might have would be, too." 

"Well, Rose was early but she was fine, just a little small. You just wait until you see the doctor. Did you make an appointment yet?" 

"Leo, I found out about 4:30 this afternoon. I didn't have a chance to call, Rose was on the other side of the bathroom door, yelling about the park while I was trying to do the test." 

Leo burst out laughing as he took CJ's hand and led her out to the living room. He reached down to pick up Rose and put her in her own bed. 

He led CJ to their bedroom, where they both kind of collapsed into each other's arms on top of the covers. "I love you," he whispered, kissing her temple. 

"Love you, too," CJ murmured in reply, contentedly cuddling closer. "Leo?" 

"Hmm?" 

"Kiss me." 

"Of course" he replied with a grin. 

After a few minutes of kissing he pulled back to look into CJ's eyes. 

"So..anything else I can do for you?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. 

"I can think of a few things" said CJ as she leaned over to whisper in his ear. 

"Oh, yes, I can definitely do that," he chuckled like a dirty old man. 

"Good -- do it, then," she purred, reaching for his belt and smirking. 

She pulled his belt loose in one swift motion and managed to undo the button fly on his jeans while he worked on the small buttons on her shirt. 

"Hey, this shirt looks mighty familiar" he teased as he came to the last button. 

"Well, hey, if you don't want me wearing your clothes, don't leave them on the floor in my bathroom" she smirked as she slid his jeans down over his hips. 

They were so engrossed in what they were doing that they didn't notice the door creak open. "LEO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MY MOMMY?!" shrieked Rose, throwing her stuffed Winnie-the-Pooh at him. 

Leo rolled off of CJ and pulled up the covers as fast as he could. He put the pillow over his face, totally prepared to suffocate himself and put an end to his embarrassment. CJ reached for her...Leo's shirt and wrapped it around her. She sent Rose back to her room so she could find her underwear and calm down Leo. 

"I will have suffocated myself by the time you get back, just throw my body into the Potomac, will ya?" groaned Leo from under the pillow. 

"Honey, it'll be ok" she said as she patted his knee. He just grunted as she stepped out into the hall. 

Rose was sitting in her room on the bed, crying. "Sweetheart, it's okay," CJ assured her, hugging her close. "It is." 

"Leo was hurting you, Mommy!" 

"No, baby, he wasn't. He wasn't." 

"But..." 

"Sweetie, he wasn't hurting me, okay?" 

Rose nodded slowly. 

After a few songs and a drink of water she was back to sleep. CJ returned to her bedroom to check on Leo. He had thrown his boxers and t-shirt back on and was sitting crossed legged on the bed with his head in his hands. CJ crept in next to him and reached over to rub his back. 

"She asleep?" asked Leo without looking up. 

"Yeah. We talked, she's fine, don't worry about it. Next time we make sure the door is locked. Now where were we?" asked CJ as she reached over to pull his shirt off. 

"You're kidding right?" asked Leo as he picked his head up and glared at her. "Rose screaming at me kind of ruined the mood for me" 

CJ smiled and leaned over to kiss the top of his head. 

"OK. I'm going to get something to drink. You want anything?" 

"Water and a couple of Advil please" groaned Leo as he lay back down. 

She chuckled and shook her head as she went into the bathroom to retrieve the Advil. "Y'know, it's only gonna get worse form here," she commented dryly. "At least when she was a baby, I didn't have to worry about her ruining anything by bursting into the room, because she couldn't get out of her crib, but..." 

"Shut up," he grunted from the bed. "I don't need to think about this yet." 

"Daddy Leo," she teased, coming out of the bathroom with a glass of water and the bottle of Advil for him. 

Leo just groaned as he took the bottle from her. CJ giggled as she watched him struggle with the child-proof cap. Finally he tossed the bottle back to her so she could open it. SHe held out two pills and handed him the water. 

"Get some sleep. Things will be fine by morning" said CJ as she climbed in next to him and kissed his cheek. 

"Yeah, sure they'll be fine. Any chance of me sneaking out of here before Rose wakes up?" 

"Only if you leave now. She's an early riser, can't imagine where she gets that from?" mused CJ as she rolled her eyes. 

Leo could only rolled away and groan. 

She rubbed his back gently. "And besides, Leo -- she's not so upset now that she knows you weren't hurting me." 

"She thought I was..." 

"Well, yeah, Leo. But it's okay." She hugged him a little bit awkwardly, and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "She's your daughter, definitely." 

"She sure is" he whispered as he closed his eyes. 

Breakfast the next morning wasn't nearly as strange as Leo had feared. Rose never said a word about what had happened. Apparently she had been fine with CJ's explanation. SHe finished her waffles and went with Desiree to get dressed for school. 

"So, when do we announce our engagement to the world?" asked Leo as he poured another cup of coffee. 

"The world? I don't know. How about we tell the staff this morning?" 

"Sure, start small and work our way up?" teased Leo. 

"Something like that" 

An hour later they walked into the Oval Office for senior staff. They sat next to each other on the couch. CJ raised her left hand up to run her fingers through her hair when a flash of light caught Jed's eye. 

"Care to share something with the class, Claudia Jean?" he asked with a broad smile on his face. 

CJ blushed and smiled a little as she glanced over at Leo. He nodded almost imperceptably, and she took a deep breath before saying, "Leo and I are going to get married." 

"And...." Leo prompted, nudging her a little. 

"LEO!" 

"Okay, fine -- and we're going to have another baby," he blurted out, grinning like a maniac -- something rather unusual for him. 

"Wow... guys... that's like.... wow," Josh mumbled, running a hand over his forehead. "Uh... congratulations, I guess." 

"You sound a little reluctant, Joshua," the President scolded. 

"Well..." 

"It's okay, Josh -- I really didn't see it coming either," Sam said with a sigh. "Congratulations." 

"Um, wait --" Josh said. "Does this mean... another baby? That means Rose is..." 

"Rose is Leo's," CJ confirmed, turning bright red. 

"Oh" muttered Josh and Sam at the same time. "OK" 

They didn't quite know what else to say so they turned their attention back to the meeting at hand. 

The rest of the morning flew by. CJ was able to get an appointment for Monday morning with the doctor. That left her only two days to worry. A steady stream of people stopped by her office to offer their congratulations. 

After the noon briefing she wandered into Leo's office, looking for an excuse to ignore the pile of work on her desk. He sitting on the couch reading and making notes when she walked in. He glanced up at her over the tops of his reading glasses as he motioned for her to sit down. 

"Finished the briefing?" he asked as he tossed his glasses aside and rubbed his eyes wearily. 

"Yeah, no surprises. You ok? You don't look so great" she said as she reached out to feel his forehead. He was a little warm. 

"I have a headache, I'll be fine." he said. 

She walked to his desk and grabbed a couple of Advil. 

"Here, take these. Why don't you try and get some rest. I'll be back to check on you in a little while." said CJ as she got the blanket out of the closet and covered him up. 

"Don't go," said Leo sleepily. 

"Okay, I'll be right back, let me get something to work on." 

CJ left to grab her computer. 

When she came back, he was back fast asleep. She sighed and set up shop, typing out her position paper on sex education. A while later, Leo started tossing fitfully, and groaning in his sleep. 

She saved her file and moved to touch his forehead. He was burning up with a fever. "Oh my..." she murmured. She went into Margaret's area and said, "Margaret, can you see if the First Lady can come down to look at Leo? He's running a heck of a fever..." 

CJ went back to the couch as Margaret went to try and track down Abbey. 

"Leo, can you hear me?" she whispered as she gently shook his shoulder. 

His eyes fluttered open about halfway as he tried to focus. 

"CJ?" he asked as he tried to sit up. 

"Yeah, it's me. Let me help you up," she said as she helped him sit up just enough for her to slip onto the couch. She settled his head in her lap. "You're running quite a fever there, Leo. Margaret went to see if she could find Abbey. Can you tell me what's wrong?" asked CJ, trying to stay calm. She couldn't ever remember Leo being sick before. 

"Headache and my back hurts. And I'm hot..." 

CJ pushed back the blanket and reached for the bottle of water she had set on the table next to the couch. 

"Here, sit up a little and take a drink." 

Leo took the bottle and drank the rest of it quickly. He handed the bottle back to CJ. She tossed it in the trash and reached over to remove his tie and undo the top buttons of his shirt. 

Leo took a deep breath as if to say something when he went completely pale and his hand flew up to his mouth. For a split second CJ was frozen but then her maternal instincts kicked in and she grabbed the wastebasket in the nick of time. She rubbed his back and held his head while he got sick. Margaret appeared out of nowhere with a cool, damp cloth, a clean wastebasket and another bottle of water. She removed the one wastebasket and left them alone again. 

CJ got Leo to lay back down on the couch and she put the cloth on his forehead. 

"Shhhh, just relax, Abbey will be here in a minute..." she said soothingly. 

Sure enough Abbey was there in a few minutes, followed closely by a very worried looking Jed. She motioned for CJ to come out in the hall to talk and she sent Jed in to be with Leo. 

"So, what seems to be the problem?" asked Abbey in complete doctor mode. 

"He complained of a headache a couple of hours ago. He took some Advil. He was sleeping peacefully for a while and then got really restless. That's when I felt his forehead. He also just *tossed his cookies* a few minutes ago. So in addition to feeling sick, I think he's a little embarrassed too." 

"OK, why don't you wait here for a minute?" 

Abbey went back into Leo's office while CJ waited with Margaret. Abbey called her in a few minutes later. 

"Well, what's the diagnosis?" she asked as she sat on the couch next to Leo. 

"I can't be positive but I think probably a kidney infection. That would explain the fever, back pain and vomiting. But I want him to go to the emergency room just to make sure it's not a kidney stone. And of course, he's being stubborn," said Abbey as she glared over at Leo. 

"I'm fine, I just need to get some sleep," whined Leo. 

"Leo, you're running a fever of 102.4, listen to Abbey. CJ will take you. We'll call ahead, they'll be waiting for you at GW," said Jed in a tone that left no room for argument. 

"Fine," Leo said, too tired and achy to put up much of a fight. 

The ride to GW went quickly and sure enough, they were expecting him. Leo and CJ were ushered into an exam room quickly. CJ decided to leave when the doctor came in to examine Leo so she took the opportunity to get some fresh air and check in with Desiree. 

A nurse appeared before her a few minutes later. 

"Ms. Cregg, Mr. McGarry is asking for you." 

CJ re-entered Leo's room. He had been given the one size fits all backless hospital gown. His right hand now sported an IV. He was laying on his side, facing away from the door. She went in quietly and sat on the edge of the bed trying not to disturb him. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. He rolled over to face her. 

"Hey, feeling any better?" she asked as she caressed his cheek. 

"Honestly, no. I threw up again and my back is still killing me," he said in a weak voice. "The doctor agrees with Abbey about the kidney infection. They did an ultrasound and didn't see any stones. I peed in the cup and they took blood. The doctor said a couple hours of IV antibiotics and fluids and I should be able to go home. That is assuming the test results don't show anything different." 

"No stones, that's good news. Why don't you just get some sleep, I'm not going anywhere, ok?" 

"OK..." 

Leo curled back up under the blanket. CJ reached over to rub his back until he fell asleep. That didn't take more than 5 minutes. She pulled the chair up to his bed and took his hand in hers. She kissed his fingers and then his cheek. He was still so warm. He had looked pale back at his office but now looked even paler with his head on the white pillow and the harsh lights shining on him. CJ rose to turn out the overhead light. She kissed him on the forehead and went outside to check in with Toby. 

She spent the next 4 hours alternately pacing, talking on the phone and keeping watch over Leo's sleeping form. He was sleeping restlessly but had only completely woken up once to drink some water. Thankfully that had stayed down. Abbey came over to check on him. Jed had wanted to come but Abbey had been able to convince him to stay at the White House. 

While Abbey was there the doctor came back in with Leo's test results. Abbey's diagnosis was correct, a kidney infection. He cleared Leo to be released as soon as he woke up and started complaining. By 7:00 Leo was awake and well on his way to complaining. Abbey took care of the paperwork and got the prescriptions filled. Leo left the hospital with strict instructions for rest, fluids, Advil and antibiotics. 

Leo tried to convince CJ he needed to go to the office for just a little while. She promised to pick up some work for him in the morning but wasn't letting him anywhere near the West Wing. Instead she took him to her house, tucked him in and proceeded to fuss over him. 

He grunted his thanks and closed his eyes to try to get some rest, but a little voice said from the doorway, "Mommy, what's wrong with Leo?" 

"Sweetheart, Leo's sick," CJ explained quietly, kneeling in the doorframe with her daughter. "He needs to get some sleep -- want to go to McDonald's with me for supper?" 

"I want a quarter pounder, no cheese," Leo mumbled, trying to get settled on the bed. 

"I don't think so, I'll get you a chocolate shake" called CJ over her shoulder. "Call me if you need me" 

"Whatever" muttered Leo as he closed his eyes. 

CJ and Rose spent the next two hours eating cheeseburgers and playing in the McDonaldland Playhouse. On the way out they got a shake and a box of cookies for Leo. 

When they got back Desiree took Rose and got her ready for bed while CJ went to check on Leo. He was still asleep when she peeked in the door. She pressed her hand to his forehead. His temperature was still up. 

"Poor baby," she whispered, pressing a kiss to his cheek. She pulled the covers back up around him and went back downstairs to put his shake in the freezer. 

"Why's Leo sick, Mommy?" Rose asked as they watched Aladdin on the couch together. 

"Because... because he is, sweetie." CJ sighed and snuggled Rose a little closer. "Want me to sleep with you tonight?" 

"No, you're supposed to sleep with Leo," Rose said reproachfully. 

CJ was quite sure what to say to that. 

"Whenever I'm sick, you sleep with me. In case I need something in the middle of the night. What if Leo needs something?" asked Rose. 

"You have a point there, honey" said CJ as they settled back down to watch. 

Rose was asleep by the time the movie was over. CJ carried her to her bed. She woke up as CJ was tucking her in. 

"Kiss Leo goodnight for me" said Rose sleepily. 

"I will" 

CJ sat down to rub Rose's back for her when she heard Leo make a dash for the bathroom. 

"Hey mom, maybe you'd better go check on Leo" said Rose. 

"I'm going, I'm going," Cj assured her. "You go to sleep, baby." 

"I am," Rose mumbled, closing her eyes. 

CJ went into the bathroom, only to find Leo hovering over the toilet, looking extremely green. "Sweetie?" she said, a little anxiously. "Are you okay?" 

"I'm puking my guts up -- should I be okay?" he shot back weakly. 

CJ knelt down beside him, held his head and rubbed his back. She felt him take a deep shaky breath as he lifted his head slowly. With one hand still on his back she reached over and got a glass of water and a cool, wet washcloth. 

"Here, rinse and spit, don't swallow" she said as she put the wet cloth on the back of his neck. 

He finished rinsing his mouth and she helped him stand. Slowly they made their way back to the bedroom and she helped him back in bed. 

"I'm sorry," he sighed. 

"No, don't be, Leo -- it's okay," CJ said soothingly, tucking him back in under the covers. "Do you need anything before I come to bed?" 

"No.... you're sleeping with me?" 

"As far as I know, a kidney infection isn't contagious, Leo," she said with a sigh, changing into her pajamas. "So yes, I am sleeping with you." 

"OK, good" he whispered. 

Leo had a restless night, he was hot, he was cold, his back hurt, he was thirsty, he had to pee. CJ did her best to make him comfortable but somewhere around 4:00 she crept out of the bed and curled up in the overstuffed chair in the corner of the room. 

She woke around 7:00. Leo was still asleep. She tried to quickly get ready for work and leave before he woke up but, of course, that didn't happen. He started stirring when she was sitting in the chair slipping on her shoes. 

"Hey, how ya feeling?" she asked as she crossed the room. 

"Crappy" moaned Leo as he struggled to sit up. 

CJ leaned over to kiss his forehead. 

"Still pretty hot. Let me get you some Advil and the antibiotics. I'm going to go in for a few hours. I'll bring some work home. Desiree's here if you need anything." 

"OK" agreed Leo as he swallowed the pills and flopped back on the bed. 

She tucked him in again and kissed him softly on the lips. "I love you \-- and it might just behoove you to behave yourself while I'm gone." 

"Leave it to you to use big words when I'm feeling like shit." 

"Yup -- if I hear from Desiree that you've done anything at all to make her upset, I will personally kick your ass once you're feeling better," CJ warned, shaking a finger at him sternly. 

"Yes Ma'am" he smirked, "I'll behave" 

CJ went in to work and managed to get quite a bit done in just a few hours. It was a quiet Saturday in the West Wing. Most everyone stopped by to see how Leo was doing. By 1:00 she had gotten some work from Margaret and was on her way home. 

There was a note for her on the kitchen table. It said Rose and Desiree were are the park and that Leo had behaved. CJ took the shake out of the freezer and set it on the counter to thaw. She found Leo curled up on the couch asleep. The TV was tuned to CNN and the newspaper was spread out on the coffee table. She pushed the paper out of the way and sat on the coffee table. It always amazed her, how peaceful Leo looked when he was sleeping. He was usually curled up in a ball with the covers tucked under his chin, like a little kid. She kissed his cheek and turned off the television. 

"You're home?" he rasped, his eyes still closed. 

"Yeah. I brought some stuff that Margaret said couldn't wait until you get better," she said, reaching out to smooth back his hair. "How are you feeling?" 

"Yucky." 

"Well, I never thought I'd hear the day when Leo McGarry, the White House Chief of Staff who uses words like 'filibuster' and 'juxtaposition' on a daily basis, would use the word 'yucky'," she teased with a hint of a smile. 

"Rose said she bet I felt yucky," he replied weakly, opening his eyes. 

"She's pretty perceptive" teased CJ. 

"Oh, yeah" agreed Leo with a chuckle. 

"You want some of the chocolate shake?" 

"Yeah, I'll try a little" said Leo as he sat up slowly. 

"Did you eat anything today?" she called from the kitchen. 

"Not really but I think I drank about a gallon of cranberry juice" he groaned. 

"Good boy" teased CJ as she handed him the cup, a straw and a spoon. 

"Okay, only you can make 'good boy' sound like a turn-on," Leo moaned, adjusting himself so he was resting against the back of the couch. 

"Aww... poor baby," she purred, kissing the top of his head. 

"Okay, CJ, you're gonna have to stop that, because I feel too yucky to actually...." 

"Oh hush and eat your shake," she laughed. "And maybe I'll do a striptease a little later." 

"Are you trying to kill me?" he asked with a grin. "Cause ya know, I haven't changed my will yet" 

"Leo" 

"Hmmm?" 

"Shut up" 

Rose and Desiree came through the front door as Leo was finishing the shake. 

Rose broke out in a grin when she saw he was awake and started to launch herself into his lap. CJ managed to catch he before she caused him anymore pain. 

"Honey, don't jump on Leo" said CJ as she helped Rose take her shoes off. Rose climbed off CJ's lap and sat down next to Leo. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. 

"Still feel yucky?" she asked. 

"Yeah, sweetie, I do." 

"I'm sorry -- will my Pooh Bear help make you feel better? He always makes me feel better," Rose said, running to the toy chest to retrieve Pooh. She presented it proudly to Leo, and said, "He'll make you feel better." 

"Thank you," Leo said with a faint smile, kissing his daughter on the forehead. "You're my sweet little Rose." 

"I'm not your little girl?" she asked, a little wounded. 

"Huh?" 

"You always call me your little girl." She was frowning, and tears were welling up in her eyes. "You don't love me anymore? You're going to leave like Daddy did?" Her lower lip trembled and she backed away from Leo. 

He reached out to pull her into his arms. He caught CJ's eye and she left the two of them alone. 

"Rosie, honey, I'm not going to leave. Your mommy and I are going to get married. You'll always be my little girl. I love more than you can imagine." 

Leo felt her relax against him. He pulled his feet off the coffee table and stretched out on the couch, settling Rose's head on his chest. 

"Leo?" 

"What honey?" he asked as he stroked her hair. 

"When you and mommy get married can I call you Daddy?" 

Leo looked to to see CJ standing in the doorway. She gave Leo a smile and a little nod. 

"Sure, in fact, if you want to start now, that's fine with me" 

"OK." said Tose as she wrapped her arms around him. "I love you Daddy" she whispered into his chest. 

"I love you too, sweetie" said Leo with tears streaming down his face. 

CJ blinked back her tears and just smiled. "Can I get in on this lovefest?" she asked with a low chuckle. 

"What's a lovefest?" Rose asked, confused. 

"It's where there's a lot of love in the room," CJ explained, coming up behind the couch. 

"So Uncle Josh and Aunty Donna are a lovefest?" Rose asked, much to Leo and CJ's amusement. 

"Something like that" muttered Leo. 

They snuggled up for a while and then CJ and Rose went to make dinner while Leo tried to get some work done. 

They sat down at the kitchen table. Rose was all excited about the grilled cheese she had helped make. Leo managed to eat half a sandwich and a bowl of soup. 

At midnight Leo was still wide awake, having slept most of the day away. He was sprawled out on the couch reading. CJ had fallen asleep in Rose's bed. He decided to leave her there. He knew she hadn't gotten much sleep the night before. 

Around 1:00 he gave up on the work and made himself a cup of tea. He channel surfed for a while, flipped through a few magazines and wandered around the townhouse waiting for sleep that was just not coming. 

"Are you still up?" CJ asked softly over the baulsterade as she leaned down a bit to look at him. 

"What does it look like to you?" 

"Boy, we're grumpy," she sighed. "Come on upstairs." 

"Why? I can't sleep." 

"I'll read to you or something," she said, yawning. 

"No, CJ, go get some sleep -- you need it." 

"Leo, I'll sleep when I'm dead. Come upstairs." 

"Fine" 

"Boy, you never warned me how grumpy you get when you're sick" teased CJ. 

The weary look on Leo's face told her that maybe humor wasn't the best course of action at the moment. 

"Sorry" she whispered. 

"It's ok, I am grumpy. My back hurts and I just feel..." 

"Yucky" 

Leo nodded. He slipped off his sweats and climbed into bed. CJ propped herself up against the headboard with the pillows. She manuvered Leo so he was leaning back against her chest. He sighed as she ran her fingers through his hair and gently massaged his shoulders. After a while she could feel him relax. His breathing evened out and eventually he did fall asleep. She carefully rolled him onto his side and pulled the sheets up around both of them. 

She dozed off and woke only when a little noise to her right said, "Mommy, I had a bad dream.... can I sleep with you and Leo?" 

CJ shifted a little and let Rose up onto the bed. "Okay, baby..." she mumbled, falling asleep again. Rose just cuddled up and they were a happy little band of sleepiness. 


	6. You Could Drive a Person Crazy 6

**You Could Drive a Person Crazy**

**by: Ginny and Becky**

**Pairing(s):** CJ/Leo  
**Category(s):** Alternate Universe  
**Rating:** MATURE  
**Disclaimer:** The usual, not mine etc.  
**Summary:** CJ and Leo, Alternate Universe  
**Feedback:** Feedback is appreciated.  


* * *

Part 6 

Leo woke up to find both of his girls sounds asleep next to him. He watched them for a while before getting up. 

The sun was streaming in the kitchen window as he sat down to read the Sunday paper. For the first time in 3 days he was actually hungry. He was finishing a bowl of cereal and a banana when he heard little footsteps on the stairs. 

"Daddy, where are you?" she called from the landing. 

"In the kitchen" 

"Okay," she said, coming into the room. "Whatcha eatin'?" 

"Cereal and a banana." 

"What kind of cereal?" 

"Grape Nuts." 

"Eeew.... I don' like nanners, either." Rose pouted. "Can you help me make some oatmeal, Daddy? And help me put some jelly in it?" 

"Jelly?" asked Leo, making a face. 

"It's good" stated Rose as she grabbed the oatmeal canister out of the pantry cabinet. 

By the time CJ made her way downstairs Rose and Leo had finished breakfast, Rose had gotten dressed and Leo had showered. She came down the stairs expecting to see them in the kitchen. They weren't there but she could hear Rose's laughter coming from the patio out back. CJ stood at the sliding glass door and took in the scene outside. Leo had apparently been reading the paper and drinking a cup of tea at the table, his glasses were on the newspaper. But now he was sitting on the edge of the patio blowing bubbles for Rose. She was running around, her light hair flowing behind her. CJ placed a hand one her stomach and smiled broadly. 

"You're feeling better, I see," she said, loudly enough that Leo heard. 

He turned and smiled. "Yeah. Much." 

"You know, if you breathe out into the wand in one continuous slow breath, you can make a bigger bubble," CJ said, coming over and taking the second wand out of the bubble bottle. "Like this," she instructed, showing him. 

"Yeah, but all of the little bubbles keep Rose scampering around more," Leo said with a grin. 

"And you just enjoy watching your daughter run around?" 

"Yeah" 

"Well just wait, soon enough you'll have two little kids to chase after" 

"Sure, I can chase after them with my walker. I think I'm too old for this" teased Leo as he kissed her on the cheek. 

"No, you're not" 

~~~~~ 

CJ looked in the mirror and sighed. Abbey held up her veil and said, "Claudia Jean Cregg, you look astounding." 

"I look like a fat whale and... and..." CJ sniffled and started to cry. 

"CJ! You're mascara's running!" Donna cried in alarm, rushing over with a box of kleenexes. 

"I... I can't help it!" CJ bawled. "I'm getting married today, I'm eight and a half months pregnant, I look like a whale, and... and..." 

"Nonsense CJ, you look beautiful" said Abbey as she carefully dried her tears. 

CJ took a few deeps breaths and pulled herself together as Donna put Rose's dress on her and Abbey did her hair. 

THey all turned towards the door at the sound of someone knocking. 

"Can I come in for a minute" yelled Leo. 

"NO" yelled the three women in unison. 

"Didn't think so. Can you send Rose out for a minute. I have something for her" he called from the hallway. 

"Coming Daddy" said Rose as she climbed off the couch and headed for the door. 

"Rose, don't run -- you'll scuff your shoes," CJ said, her voice a little sharper than she had intended it to be. Rose shot her mother a wounded look, and went into the hall to be with her father. 

"Mommy's being mean," she said with a heavy sigh that seemed out of place coming from a five-year-old. 

"Mommy's worked up," Leo said with a crooked smile. "CLose your eyes, baby doll, and give me your right hand." 

"Okay," Rose said, closing her eyes and giving him her right hand. She felt something cold on her finger a moment later, and Leo said, "Okay, open your eyes, sweetie." 

She opened her eyes to find a small gold ring. Just the right size for her. She picked it up between her fingers to get a better look at it. Engraved on the ring were the initials RAM. 

"Daddy, what's RAM" she asked curiously. 

"Those are you initials, sweetie." 

"But my last name is...oh" said Rose remembering a conversation she'd had with both CJ and Leo a few weeks earlier. They had talked about how they were all going to be McGarry's. 

"Do you like it?" asked Leo as he pulled Rose onto his lap. 

"I love it Daddy, can you put it on me?" 

"Sure" 

Leo put the ring on and kissed her forehead. 

"Go see if Mommy's ready" he said, setting her down. 

"OK, I love you Daddy" said Rose as she gave Leo one last kiss. 

"I love you, too, sweetheart." He set her down on the floor and watched her scamper back into the Lincoln Bedroom. 

He felt so lucky to have them both, CJ and Rose... and their new little one -- their new little one that they didn't even know if it was a boy or a girl. CJ had been adamant about leaving it to fate. 

Although Leo would welcome another daughter and love her with all his heart, he was secretly hoping for a boy. He was pretty sure CJ was too. 

Leo took his place by the priest in the Rose Garden. Jed stood next to him as best man. Abbey waited in the back with CJ as her Matron of Honor. All eyes turned towards the aisle as Rose Anne McGarry made her way to her father. She was dressed in a white sleeveless dress with a light purple bow in the back. She had a crown of flowers in her hair and a white wicker basket of flowers in her hand. 

She smiled up at Leo as she walked down the aisle, looking every inch the sweet angel she could usually be. 

Rose took her place at the front, and then it was time for Abbey to come down the aisle, then CJ. 

CJ was in a delicate Edwardian creation of ivory silk and lace, beaded with aurora borealis crystals, wearing the diamond necklace and earrings he had given her for her birthday. 

She was breathtaking. 

Leo smiled as CJ got closer. He held Rose's hand as she beamed at her mother. Jed smiled as he cast glances to both Leo and CJ as she came down the aisle. He gave Leo's shoulder a comforting pat as CJ arrived at the altar. 

Dearly beloved... 

Twenty minutes later it was official. They were a family. As Leo, Rose and CJ stood in the receiving line CJ noticed the familiar signs of labor. She grabbed Leo's hand and pulled him closer. 

"I think your child wants to join the party" she whispered. 

Leo cast a confused glance in Rose's direction. CJ laughed and pulled his hand to her stomach. 

His eyes widened as he realized what she was saying. "Oh my God -- how... how far apart?" 

"Leo, relax. We've got a while -- at least until my water breaks." She smiled and hissed, "But I could use a chair pretty quickly." 

"Okay, come on and sit down," he insisted, tugging her over to one of the padded chairs that had been brought out especially for her. 

"Leo, don't get all panicky on me, okay? That's my job -- but it's not time to..." 

"What's going on?" Jed asked, coming over. "Is everything..." 

"Well, you newest godchild is a little anxious to make an appearance" said Leo in a calm voice that seemed to have taken over all of the sudden. 

"I'll get Abbey" Jed said as he ran off to find his wife. 

"Leo, I'm fine. I'm not about to give birth in the next 10 minutes. We have time. Let's stay for a little while, ok?" asked CJ. 

Abbey arrived within 3 minutes. 

"CJ, I haven't delivered a baby in a long, long time. Please tell me I'm not going to be delivering one soon." teased Abbey. 

"I don't think so. My water hasn't broken and the contractions aren't regular, we have time" CJ assured her. 

"You're early, so I'd keep an eye out..." 

"Rose was early, too, Abbey -- it's not a big..." CJ gasped and cringed for a long moment. "Okay. Okay... it's not a big deal." 

"What do you MEAN, it's NOT A BIG DEAL?!" Leo hissed. 

The sound of Leo's voice brought the room to a standstill. Everyone turned to see what the commotion was all about. One look at the scene before them and just about everyone figured out what was going on. 

Toby, Josh and Sam, managed to herd the guests in the East Room to give Leo and CJ some privacy. Donna took Rose with her and tried to keep her occupied. 

"Leo, I know what I'm doing, okay?" CJ exploded. "Why can't you trust me on this? Why can't you just go with the flow and..." 

"Because I've never done this!" 

She stopped and stared at him. "Not even with Mallory?" 

"I was overseas when she was born." 

"Oh God... Leo, why didn't you just say..." 

"Because you have been so goddamn bristly the last few days and..." 

"Leo -- if it helps any, I'm a little scared right now. The baby hasn't dropped the way Rose did, and..." 

"CJ?" 

"It'll pass," she hissed. 

"You lied to Abbey...." 

"No -- they weren't regular until a few minutes ago, Leo -- and.... my water hadn't broken," she sighed looking a little annoyed at the puddle beneath her feet. 

"OK that's it, party's over, come on" stated Leo as he stood up. 

CJ took his hand and stood up. 

"But Leo" she whined, "I'm hungry" 

"Hungry?" asked Leo exasperated. 

"Yeah, labor's hard work and I didn't get a chance to eat lunch. Just got grab a plate full of something" she said as she pointed towards the East Room. 

"You've got to be kidding" said Leo, rolling his eyes. 

"Doesn't sound like she's kidding Leo" said Jed as he came back into the room. 

"OK, fine. I'll talk to Rose while I'm in there. I'll ask Josh and Donna to keep an eye on her." 

"I'll keep an eye on her," Jed said, bristling. "What you think I can't watch..." 

"You can watch her," CJ said as Leo went to get the food. She sighed and closed her eyes. "I'm worried, sir." 

"Because..." 

"Because this doesn't feel right. The baby's too high. It's... it's really too early. Something's got to be wrong... I... I'm terrified." 

"Claudia Jean, look at me. Everthing will be fine. Let's just wait for Leo and Rose and then we'll get you to the hospital. Abbey's already calling ahead, ok?" 

CJ nodded as Jed held out his hand to her. She took it and with her other hand she wiped away the tears. 

"Mommy, are you okay?" Rose asked, biting her lower lip worriedly. 

"Yeah, sweetheart," CJ said with a smile. "You're going to stay here with Uncle Jed, okay?" 

"But Daddy said I was gonna stay with Uncle Josh..." 

"Stay with both." 

"No way, I'm coming with you" delcared Jed. 

CJ, Leo and Josh just rolled their eyes at him. 

"Sir, the hospital's not secure. You can go after the baby's born" said Josh. 

"Fine" agreed Jed. 

"OK, then it's settled. Sir, you and Josh keep an eye on Rose. Enjoy the party, we'll call you when we have any news." said Leo as he helped CJ up. 

Abbey appeared as everyone was saying their tearful goodbyes. 

"They're waiting for you at GW. Call when you hear anything" she said giving a hug to CJ and Leo. 

Leo bent down to pick up Rose. The three of them shared a big hug and he handed Rose off to Jed. 

The car was waiting out front, they climbed in and were whisked away to GW. 

Six hours later, Leo was on the phone to the Residence. "Hey, Jed -- it's a boy!" 

"You're kidding, Leo -- a boy? REALLY?" 

"Yeah -- and CJ's doing fine. She's still a little groggy from the drugs they used on her for the c-section, but..." 

"Good, good... What's his name?" 

"I don't know yet, actually." 

"What, too busy running the country to think about baby names?" teased Jed. 

"No, we've thought about it plenty, it's the agreeing part we're having trouble with" laughed Leo. 

"OK, let me find Rose so you can tell her the good news" 

Leo sat down next to CJ as he waited for Rose to come to the phone. 

"Daddy?" said a very small, tired voice. 

"I'm here, sweetie." 

"How's Mommy?" 

"She's doing fine, sweetheart, and so is your little brother." 

"I have a little brother?" 

"Yep." 

"Wow..." 

"What's his name?" 

"We don't know yet. Got any ideas?" said Leo with a smile. 

"How about Christopher Robin?" asked Rose hopefully. 

"I don't think so, but we'll talk about it. Aunty Donna and Uncle Josh are going to take you home tonight so you can sleep in your own bed. Uncle Jed and Aunt Abbey are going to come see us now." 

"I wanna come now" whined Rose. 

"Honey, it's late and mommy's really tired from the medicine, ok?" 

"OK,but I'm coming when I get up" declared Rose. 

Leo laughed, knowing that could be 5 in the morning. 

"Fine, I love you sweetie. See you in the morning" 

"Bye Daddy, love you too." 

"Sleep well." 

"Sleep sweet, Daddy." Rose handed the phone away, and he heard her excited shriek as she ran away to, presumably, find Josh and Donna. 

Jed was chuckling when he got back on the line. "She's a little excited." 

"Gee, ya think? Jed, please tell Josh and Donna not to wind her up -- CJ's a little touchy, and it would be great if Rose wasn't..." 

"Hyper?" 

"Yah." 

"Well, it might be a little late for that. I think Donna's going to have her hands full this evening with Rose and Josh." laughed Jed. 

"Josh too, huh? Probably a good thing there wasn't any liquor at the party" 

"Yeah. Look, Ron is on his way over to secure things. I should be there in about an hour. You need anything?" 

"Yeah, there are some clothes in my office closet. Ask Donna and Josh to bring CJ's bag in the morning. It's sitting by the front door next to the bookcase." 

"No problem, see you in a while" 

"Bye" 

Leo hung up the phone, kissed CJ and started to thumb through the baby name book he had picked up at the gift shop. 

"Algernon," she mumbled, yawning. 

"Absolutely not. I am not having MY SON go through life being called Alge -- makes him sound like a damn sea plant." 

"You are..." She paused to yawn again. 

"You are going to sleep, Claudia Jean," Leo said sternly. 

"No, Leo... not until we choose our son's name -- we can't just call him Baby McGarry." 

"Well... No, you're right." 

"So, any ideas?" 

"Well, Rose likes Christopher Robin" said Leo with a wink. 

"Oh no" groaned CJ. 

Just then the nurse knocked on the door. She wheeled in baby McGarry and handed him off to his father. 

Leo unwrapped the blanket a little to get a better look at him. He was a little small, just over 5 pounds, but perfect. He had a little sandy colored hair and his mom's blue eyes. 

"CJ, he has your eyes" 

"Leo, all babies have blue eyes" said CJ with a roll of her eyes. 

"I know, but his are going to stay blue" stated Leo. 

"So little guy, any idea what you want to be called?" asked Leo as he proudly held his son. 

Baby McGarry opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue. 

"Well, you're just a regular little firecracker there, aren't ya?" Leo cooed. 

"Leo..." 

"What?" 

"Leo. Leo McGarry, Jr." 

"Huh?" 

"His name." 

"You really want that?" 

"Leo Patrick McGarry, Jr. We'll call him Pat." 

Leo thought for a moment and turned his eyes back to his son. 

"So Pat? That ok with you?" 

The baby grunted and squirmed in his arms. 

"I'll take that as a yes" grinned Leo. 

"And I'll take that as a sign he needs a new diaper," CJ chuckled. 

"What?" 

"Leo...." 

Leo took a breath, and pulled back for a moment. "Uh... yeah." 

It had been years since Leo McGarry had changed a newborn's diaper. The last time was back in the days of cloth diapers and pins. He put Pat back in the bassinet and got out a clean diaper and went to work. It took a while but he managed to present CJ with her clean, freshly diapered son without any great difficulties. 

"Here you go. And now I think he's hungry and I can't do a thing about that" teased Leo. 

CJ held her son in her arms for a few minutes, until he protested loudly. She loosened the front of the gown and nursed him while Leo looked on proudly. 

"What are you smirking about?" she asked with a wry chuckle. 

"I'm not smirking." 

"You are." 

"Okay -- I am. But it's because I've done good." 

"You only supplied the sperm and the entertainment, old man," she teased, closing her eyes and yawning. "I'm just gonna take a little nap \-- okay?" 

"OK" whispered Leo as he stood to take Pat from CJ. He settled down in the chair, kicked off his shoes and propped his feet on the window sill. He held Pat up to the window, pointing out the various landmarks that made up the skyline. 

They looked out the window until Leo saw the reflection of someone standing in the doorway of the room. Leo turned around to see the broad smile come across the face of Jed Bartlet. 

"Hi, meet your godson, Leo Patrick McGarry, Jr., or as we prefer, Pat." 

Leo stood up and motioned for Jed to sit down. He handed him the baby and watched as the leader of the free world was reduced to just a regular guy with tears in his eyes, making gurgling noises at a newborn. 

Leo's laugh was just loud enough to wake CJ. "What's going on?" she mumbled, opening her eyes slowly. "Mister President!" 

"What?" 

"I didn't... didn't expect to see you here yet... I ah..." She fumbled with her robe, closing it. "Sorry, sir." 

"CJ -- I've seen so many nursing mothers expose themselves in my lifetime that one more won't bother me," Jed said with a wry smile. "Pat is a beautiful little boy -- you two did well." 

"Thank you, sir. Where's Abbey?" 

"She's harassing the nurses. I imagine she'll be here in a minute or two." chuckled Jed. 

And she was. She swept into the room and headed right for the baby. She plucked him out of Jed's arms and motioned him out of the chair. 

"Abbey, meet Leo Patrick McGarry, Jr., or as we prefer, Pat" said CJ. 

"He's beautiful" whispered Abbey as she caressed his little cheek. 

"All babies are," Leo said, puffed up with paternal pride. 

"No, not all," CJ said with a grin. "I've seen some pretty hideous babies in my time..." 

"Ditto," Abbey piped up, kissing Pat on his forehead. The little boy just stared up at her, cross-eyed. 

CJ let out a huge yawn. 

"Sorry" she muttered. 

"Nonsense, nothing to be sorry about. We're going to get going and leave the three of you alone. We'll be back in the morning" said Jed as he leaned over to kiss CJ. Abbey kissed Pat one more time and handed him to Leo. She kissed CJ and Leo and started for the door. 

"I'll be in the hall" she said to her husband. 

By the time Abbey walked out the door, CJ was sound asleep. Jed leaned against the window sill for a moment, watching Leo and Pat. He kissed the baby and then planted a kiss on the top of Leo's head. 

"You did good old friend" he whispered. 

"Thanks" 

"See you later." 

"Yeah." Leo smiled and helped Pat wave good-bye to the most powerful man in the western hemisphere. 

And when Jed was gone, Leo moved to sit in the rocking chair that a nurse had brought in, and he rocked his son -- and himself -- to sleep. 

What awakened him was a tiny whisper. "Is that my baby brother?" 

And Josh's hushed reply. "Yeah." 

Leo opened one eye as he felt Josh take the baby from him. He wiped his eyes as he saw Josh sit down in the chair and hold the baby out for Rose to see. Leo smiled as he pushed himself out of the chair. He turned to find CJ still sound asleep. He squinted at the clock, 6:30. 

"You're here bright and early" said Leo as Rose climbed up in his lap. 

"Yeah, well, it would have been earlier if Rose here had gotten her way. She woke me at 5 by jumping on the couch with me" groaned Josh as he stifled a yawn. He handed Pat back to his father. 

"She's an early riser. Can't imagine where she got that from" said Leo, feigning innocence. 

"Yeah, right. I'm going to get some coffee, you want some" 

"Oh yeah, thanks" 

Leo turned his attention back to his children. 

"So what's his name, daddy?" 

"His name is Leo Patrick McGarry, Jr., but we're gonna call him Pat." 

"Pat's a girl's name, though," Rose protested. 

"It can be a boy's name, too." 

"Can I hold him?" 

"Sure, sit in the rocker" 

Rose climbed off his lap and sat in the rocker with her arms out. Leo put Pat in her little arms and knelt down next to her. He smiled as he watched Rose kiss her brother and play with his little hands. 

CJ started to stir. She smiled when she saw the scene in front of her, her husband, daughter and newborn son, with their matching sandy hair and in the case of Rose and Leo, matching grins. They looked like something out of a Norman Rockwell painting, all huddled together, Leo whispering something in Rose's ear, Rose giggling, both of them staring at the baby. CJ reached for the box of tissues so she could wipe away the tears of happiness that had started to fall. Her movements caught Leo's eye and he looked over with a wink and a smile. 

"We did good" 

"We sure did" 

"I love you." 

"Love you too" 

Pat was a good baby. He slept well, loved being cuddled, didn't get too loud or fussy, and was just generally the complete opposite of what Rose had been. 

After a couple of weeks, he even slept through the night. 

Much to Leo and CJ's relief. 

CJ came back to work when Pat was a little over two months old. And brought him along. She set up a playpen in her office, so she could work and keep an eye on him. And when she couldn't, Carol and Ginger did. 

Or Toby. Or Josh. Or Donna... Margaret.... Or basically anyone. 

He was the prince of the West Wing, sure to be spoiled rotten by the time he was a year old. One could never be too sure where you might find him. He was know to appear in the Oval Office, at briefings and even once he made an appearance in the Situation Room. 

Life was good for the McGarry family. Rose was almost out of school for the summer, having just about finished kindergarten. She spent her afternoons with Desiree. Although she was known to make an appearance in the White House at least once a week. She adored her brother and proudly showed him her newly acquired reading skills each night after his bath. 

Their new found happiness was shattered one warm spring night in Rosslyn, Virginia as bullets tore through two of the most important people in their lives. 

Rose and Pat were at home with Desiree, Rose having had a big day at school, and Pat having had a big day learning how to roll over in his playpen. 

And CJ and Leo had the town hall at the Newseum to work, but then they'd come home and kiss their babies goodnight, even though they'd most likely already be sleeping. 

But it didn't happen that way. 

CJ was walking past a police car when she heard the first shots. She turned towards the source of the noise, and felt someone yank her down before the car window above her head shattered, spilling glass all over her. She lay, stunned on the ground, long after the noise had stopped, afraid to so much as breathe. 

But finally, hesitantly, she sat up, her hand pressed to her head. She looked around for Leo, but didn't see him. Toby came over to make sure she was okay, well, some semblance of okay at least, before heading off to find the others. 

An ambulance arrived and a medtech started fussing over CJ, who was still in some hazy kind of shock. "Is the President dead?" she asked. 

"I wouldn't know anything about that, ma'am." 

Is Leo dead? she wanted to scream. She didn't know where her husband was, didn't know if he was all right... 

The panic and sick feeling in her stomach began to rise, choking her. 

She made her way through the crowd, meeting up with Toby and Sam. Sam assured her that he had seen the agents put Leo in a car. Her joy was only fleeting as she and Sam heard Toby calling for a doctor. They ran towards Toby, getting there just in time to see him catch Josh's head before it hit the cold concrete steps. 

While they waited for what seemed like an eternity Toby and Sam did what they could to stop the bleeding from Josh's chest. CJ held his cold hand and stroked his hair. She tried to be reassuring, but there was so much blood, Josh was having a heard time breathing, he was terrified and it seemed as if the paramedics were taking forever to get there. Finally they arrived and quickly got him into the ambulance. CJ went with them and on the way they heard that the President had also been shot. 

Upon arriving at the hospital CJ didn't have to wait long to find Leo. He had been standing by the ambulance bay talking to Gina. 

"It's Josh" CJ yelled as she saw Leo. 

Leo pushed his way into the trauma room only to be told there was no time for the doctor to explain anything. CJ took him by the hand and they went to the waiting room where the others had gathered. 

There was no time for shock, no time for anguish, just the overwhelming joy of each actually knowing that the other was alive and not injured -- badly, that is. But Leo couldn't help but hold her close. He had seen her go down, had seen the window shatter only fractions of a second after she was out of the way... And his heart had stopped beating. 

Now he didn't want to let her go. 

"I'm okay," she mumbled into his shoulder, holding him as tightly as he was holding her. "I'm okay, Leo." 

"I know." 

Abbey breezed into the room a few minutes later and handed Leo a note. "They told me to give this to you as soon as I could." 

Leo glanced down at it and read it slowly. "I've... I've got to go." 

"Okay -- I've got to call Desiree and tell her we're okay, but won't be home tonight." CJ kissed him on the cheek. "Go on back, Leo. It's okay." 

Leo left to go back to the White House and handle things in the situation room. CJ stayed behind and waited and waited and waited some more. The people in the room breathed a huge sigh of relief when Abbey told them the President would be fine. But that mood was short lived when Donna entered the room and they had to tell her about Josh. It broke CJ's heart to see Donna. As Rose had put it so many months before, Josh and Donna were a "love fest" even if they couldn't admit it. 

CJ didn't know what she would do if it had been Leo that had been hit. So she did what she could to comfort Donna -- she rubbed her shoulder before getting the note that said she had to return to the White House to brief. 

As she left, she said a silent prayer, lifting her wishes for Josh's recovery to Heaven on an angel's wings. 

CJ prepared for and gave the briefing while the rest of the staff went back and forth between the hospital and the White House. She was having a hard time talking about the events of the night because she honestly didn't remember much. All she knew was that someone had pushed her out of the way, breaking her necklace in the process. 

Leo had wanted her to do the morning shows but she begged off that assignment. He sent Sam instead. Throughout the night she kept in contact with the hospital, Josh was holding his own through what was anticipated to be a 12-14 hour surgery. 

After the situation room Leo went back to the hospital to see Jed in the recovery room. As expected Jed was giving everyone a hard time. He was worried about Josh and insisted on watching the surgery. 

Meanwhile, CJ was sitting in her office, pouring over the National Security Act of 1947 and the political breakdown of the 25th Amendment, feeling more and more like she was just going to be sick. 

What she was reading and what had happened that night... 

She began falling asleep as she read, and ended up face-down on the blotter. When she finally awoke, the phone was ringing off the hook. 

She groggily answered. It was Sam, he was on his way back from doing the morning shows and he was checking up on Josh. CJ had no new updates on him but said she would call the hospital. 

By the time Sam got back to the White House they learned that Josh was coming off of bypass and was expected to be taken to the ICU shortly. 

Leo stood by Josh's side as the doctor tried to gently bring him back to consciousness. 

"Josh, it's time to wake up, Josh, it's OK" 

Leo watched as Josh struggled to open his eyes and focus. He looked across the bed at his best friend. Although still weak from his own ordeal Jed had insisted on being in the room when Josh woke up. The Secret Service knew better than to try and argue with him. 

Josh's brown eyes opened halfway and he mumbled something. Jed leaned over to hear better. 

"What did he say?" asked Leo. 

"He said 'what's next?'" 

Jed leaned over to run his fingers through Josh's unruly hair as Leo just stood and cried. Tears of joy ran down his face as he silently thanked God that he wouldn't have to tell Rebecca Lyman that she had outlived both her children. He pulled up a stool, took Josh's hand and settled in to keep watch over the man he love like a son. 

Leo stayed for a few minutes, but decided it was best that he leave to tell the others that Josh was, indeed, awake and was going to be fine. 

Everyone was waiting in the private room, surrounded by Secret Service agents. CJ looked at him, scrutinizing his face for any sign of emotion, and sighed in relief at what she saw there. 

"Josh is going to be all right. You all need to go home NOW and get some sleep." 

Everyone stood to leave but Donna. CJ caught Leo's eye and motioned towards Donna. She looked absolutely wiped out but she also looked like she didn't have any plans to leave the hospital anytime in the near future. 

"Donna" said Leo softly as he sat down next to her. "Do you want to see him?" 

She could only nod her head. 

"OK" 

Leo gave CJ a quick kiss goodbye and led Donna down the hall. He stayed long enough to make sure she was able to handle the situation. But deep down he knew she would be able to handle anything related to Josh, they were, after all, "a love fest". He pulled up a chair for her next to the bed. Josh seemed to be resting fairly comfortably, due to some heavy pain killers. Leo leaned over to kiss his forehead and then Donna's. With one final look over his shoulder, he walked down the hall and headed to check on Jed. 


	7. You Could Drive a Person Crazy 7

**You Could Drive a Person Crazy**

**by: Ginny and Becky**

**Pairing(s):** CJ/Leo  
**Category(s):** Alternate Universe  
**Rating:** MATURE  
**Disclaimer:** The usual, not mine etc.  
**Summary:** CJ and Leo, Alternate Universe  
**Feedback:** Feedback is appreciated.  


* * *

Part 7 

CJ drove home, eager to see her children -- despite the fact that Rose was probably already in school for the morning, and Pat would be taking a nap. Anything to prove that she was still alive, still kicking. 

Desiree met her at the door with Pat in her arms. "I was hoping you'd come home soon," she said with a sad smile. "You get cranky sleeping in the office." 

"I haven't slept," CJ mumbled sheepishly, taking her son into her arms and beginning to cry. 

She took Pat into her bedroom, changed out of the clothes she had been wearing for God only knows how long and settled the two of them down on the bed. He eagerly nursed, while CJ absently watched CNN. 

When Leo came home a little over an hour later he found them sound asleep. He watched for a while and debated just climbing in to the bed to join them. But he knew that if he did that it would take a nuclear bomb going off in the living room to get him up. Deciding a shower was the next best thing, he kissed them both and went into the bathroom. 

When he came out of the bathroom, CJ was nowhere to be found. She had braced Pat between two pillows to make sure he didn't roll off the bed, and had left the room. 

"CJ?" Leo called. 

"I'm downstairs." 

He threw on a bathrobe and hustled down the stairs. "Sweetie, you should really be sleeping." 

"You're not," she pointed out dryly. 

"Yeah, but I'm on call..." 

"So am I, Leo. And I can't forget it was almost me instead of Josh." 

"Yeah" whispered Leo as he took his wife in his arms. "What do you remember?" 

CJ sighed as she held Leo just a little tighter. 

"I'm not sure. I was standing next to the car, I heard the first shot and felt myself fall to the ground. Someone pushed me, whoever it was broke my necklace" 

"You don't know who it was?" 

"No, it's right in front of my face but I can't remem..." she stopped suddenly and closed her eyes, trying to relive that moment, "wait, I know...it was Sam" 

"I'll have to kiss him," Leo teased. "Anyone who could save my wife from... " 

"Shh," she whispered. "I don't want to think about it. I don't want to remember it, Leo. I don't..." She laid her head on his shoulder and sighed deeply. "I'm sorry." 

"Don't be." 

"You're running on empty -- you need some sleep." 

"So do you." 

"Yeah." 

"So let's go get some sleep?" he suggested mildly. 

"Two hours" agreed CJ as they dragged themselves up the stairs. 

They climbed in bed with Pat between them. 

Two hours the alarm went off and they woke up, feeling marginally better. They headed back to the White House to face the press and the nation. 

By the time the week was over, CJ was dead on her feet and Leo had somehow managed to survive only on those two hours of real sleep and a couple of cat naps. They went home on Saturday night and slept straight through till five PM Sunday night. 

Desiree managed to keep Rose from bothering them, somehow. And she deflected any phone call that wasn't an emergency -- thank GOD there weren't really any that popped up. 

Their lives slowly returned to normal over the summer. Jed recovered quickly from his injury and Josh was healing slowly but surely. He had a long and painful hospital stay but with the help of his friends he was able to bear it and work hard through his recovery. 

As summer turned to fall things picked up again. Rose started first grade at the beginning of September. The midterm elections were quickly upon them so things were getting hectic once again in the West Wing. 

CJ found herself concentrating more and more on trying to make it through the day, day after day. It wasn't so hard to do, but it took as much energy as she had been able to amass. 

Eating became a chore, merely to be endured for the ten minutes it took to scarf down a sandwich. Sleeping became a rarity. And actually seeing Leo was even more rare than actually being able to sleep. 

CJ sat on the couch as she watched Rose and Leo share a rare weekday moment together. They were putting on their coats, gloves and hats so they could set out to find the perfect Christmas tree. Pat was teething and cranking so CJ decided to stay home with him and hopefully catch up on some rest. She kissed Leo and Rose goodbye as Pat began to howl. 

She settled down and nursed him as she thought back over the past few months. Things had been so busy there will little wonder as to why she was so exhausted. They had almost called a Lame Duck Congress, hired a Republican, lost Galileo V, found and then lost again a boatful of Chinese, and CJ had spent a memorable plane flight wearing a Notre Dame cap. She kept the hat, actually. It had a place of honor in Pat's room, on a hook next to his Michigan hat. 

Much to Leo's dismayed amusement. 

CJ held Pat close and wondered how they would handle another child, should one come along. They were stretched to the breaking point already as it was. Desiree was going nutty trying to keep up with Rose and Pat, not to mention CJ and Leo. 

CJ sighed and leaned down to kiss Pat's forehead. "I love you, baby doll," she murmured against the soft skin of his head. She sat back and closed her eyes. 

The next thing she knew, she was waking up and there was a giant Douglas fur tree standing in the corner of the living room, and Leo was holding Rose up as high as he could so she could try to put the star on the tip of the top of the tree. "I can't reach, Daddy!!!" she whined. 

CJ noticed next that someone had carefully removed Pat from her arms and had put the sleeping little boy into his playpen over by the fireplace where it was toasty warm. 

"Hush, sweetness -- you'll wake Mommy up," Leo scolded with a smile. 

"I'm already awake," CJ mumbled, rubbing her eyes. "You need help, Rosie?" 

"Yeah -- Daddy's too short to get me all the way up there!" 

"You're too heavy for me to be lifting you all the way up there!" Leo protested. "I'm a feeble old man, remember? I'm ancient..." 

CJ snorted. "Yeah right, Leo -- ancient. Oh but for the wisdom of the ancients...." 

"SHUT UP!" 

Rose watched her parents with an amused look on her face. CJ got up off the couch and held her up to put the star on the top of the tree. Leo and Rose decorated the rest while CJ made dinner. 

Later that night after tucking Rose in bed CJ went to check on Leo, who was giving Pat a bath. She didn't find them in the bathroom between the kid's rooms. She heard Leo's off key version of White Christmas coming from the direction of the master bath. Knocking softly she went in to find both Leo and Pat in the large oval tub. Pat was on Leo's chest giggling happily and batting at the bubbles. CJ smiled as she sat down on the edge of the tub. 

"You wanna join us" asked Leo with a smile. 

"Sure" 

CJ quickly got undressed and climbed into the tub. She took Pat from Leo and put him on her own chest. Of course Pat took that as a sign to nurse so she settled herself back against Leo's chest and nursed her sleepy son. 

They relaxed in silence for a while but CJ could tell something was bothering Leo. He would take a deep breath as if to say something but then he never quite got the words out. This happened about five times before CJ said something. 

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" she asked tipping her head back to look at him. 

"I'm not sure. Have you noticed anything strange about Josh lately?" 

"You mean stranger than usual?" teased CJ. 

"CJ, I'm serious. Something's just not right. It started when that pilot crashed. Something about that whole incident seemed to have had a huge effect on him. It's like he's barely keeping things together now. He's more frazzled than usual, he's yelling more than usual, even at Donna." 

"But he always yells at Donna." said CJ. 

"Yeah, but this is different. I talked to Donna about him. She's as worried, if not more" 

"You think this has to do with the shooting?" 

"I don't know, probably. I'll give it a few more days and see what happens. Tomorrow's the Congressional Christmas Party, maybe he can just relax and enjoy himself for a change." 

Leo sighed and looked down at his son, nursing contentedly, almost asleep. When Pat was sound asleep Leo climbed out of the tub, plucked his son from CJ's arms and put him to bed. CJ added more hot water and closed her eyes for a while longer. 

Wrapping herself up in her robe, CJ crept into the bedroom expecting to find Leo already asleep. He was in bed with his glasses on looking at a small photograph in his hand. CJ sat down next to him and held out her hand. Leo handed her a photograph of himself and a young boy of about 8\. The boy had wild hair and a huge dimpled smile. 

"Josh?" 

"Yeah, Noah took that one day when we were all together for a picnic." 

"He was cute..and so were you" grinned CJ. 

"We *were* cute?" asked Leo with his eyebrows raised. 

"OK, you're still cute, both of you. Look, why don't you get some sleep" 

"Good idea. I'll talk to Josh in the morning." 

Things were hectic in the morning but Leo did schedule some time to talk to Josh when he was done with a meeting in the Oval Office concerning Didion. Although it was Sam's meeting, Josh sat in to give perspective. 

What Josh gave was a hell of a lot more than some political perspective. Leo watched helplessly as the man he loved like a son exploded in the Oval Office. It was all Leo could do to hold himself together. 

That's when he decided it was time to call in a guy. 

CJ bit her thumbnail worriedly as she waited for Leo to come home on Christmas Eve. She'd left the office hours before, so she could help Desiree and Rose finish the Christmas baking, and to finish the house cleaning because her family would be arriving at 12:30 AM. 

But she was worried about Josh, had been for days. 

She let out a sigh of relief when Leo came in the front door. "You're still up?" he asked, coming over to kiss her hello. 

"Yeah -- I've got to go pick up Mom and Dad in about twenty minutes. How's Josh?" 

"He's really shaken up by all of this. The guy says he has PTSD." 

"Yeah." 

"Yeah." 

"Poor Josh." 

"No kidding -- I have PTSD to a lesser degree, but it's because of the time I've spent not thinking about Nam." He sighed and buried his face in her shoulder. 

"Hey -- remember, you've got me for that," CJ murmured, stroking his hair. "You gonna come to the airport with me?" 

"Yeah," he sighed. "But when we get home, I wanna just hold you." 

"Okay," she agreed with a smile. 

"It's been hectic and I've missed you." 

"I know. I've missed you, too, Leo." 

"Okay, you two lovebirds, I'm going to bed -- see ya in the morning," Desiree said with a smirk, passing by on her way to the stairs. 

They picked up CJ's parents at the airport, got them settled in the guest room and fell into their bed sometime around 3 AM. 

Rose, possessing her father's internal clock, was up and jumping on the bed at 5:00 yelling, "It's Christmas, it's Christmas" 

Leo and CJ begged for a few more minutes peace but gave up when Pat woke up and starting yelling the one and only word he knew. 

"MAMAMAMAMA" 

CJ sent Leo to grab the baby while she went in the bathroom and threw on her robe. 

Twenty minutes later the four of them were on the floor in the living room trying to keep Pat from ripping opened everyone's presents. They let Rose open her presents from them but told her she had to wait until her grandparents were awake to open the stuff from Santa. Rose wasn't exactly thrilled with that idea but was happy that she could open something. 

"OH WOW!" she squealed, hugging her mother. "Thank you!!" She proudly held up the doll to show her father, who nodded and chuckled, seeing as how HE'D been the one to pick it out in the first place. "I'll name her.... Mandy." 

Leo and CJ choked and exchanged glances. 

CJ was the first to speak. 

"Uh, Mandy, that's a nice name. Where did you come up with that, sweetie?" 

"You know Mommy, she's my friend from school. 

"Oh, yes. That's right" said CJ as she glanced over at Leo who was trying hard not to laugh. 

Rose opened up a bunch of other presents and she helped her brother open some of his. Like most babies, he was more interested in the wrapping paper. 

"Hey, what's all the noise down here?" came Lauren Cregg's voice as she headed down the stairs, tying her bathrobe around her waist as she descended. "Did Santa come?" 

"Yeah!" Rose squealed. "Where's Grandpa?" 

"He's up in the bathroom. C'mere, munchkin," Lauren cooed to Pat, lifting him up off of the floor, still carrying a handful of glittery silver paper. 

She settled Pat on one knee and Rose climbed up on the other. Rose gave her a big kiss and showed her the doll. 

"Where's my little Rose-petal" called Thomas Cregg from the stairs. 

"I'm right here" yelled Rose as she climbed off Lauren's lap and flew into the out stretched arms of her beloved grandfather. 

The rest of the morning was spent opening gifts and eating. Rose got more than her share of presents from her parents, grandparents and Santa. Leo just shook his head at the pile in front of her. And he knew the pile would only get bigger once she had seen all of her West Wing "Aunts" and "Uncles". 

CJ laughed at the look on his face as she tried on the earrings he had given her. "Y'know, Leo, she's just this spoiled little princess," she commented dryly, leaning over to kiss him on the cheek. "Love you." 

"Love you, too," he said, grabbing the phone as it rang. "Hello?" 

"LEO!" boomed Jed's voice over the line. "I assume you're going to be joining the party over here?" 

"Yes Sir, we will. We're about done opening things here, so we'll be there in about an hour or so." 

"OK, we'll see you then. Merry Christmas" 

"Merry Christmas, sir" said Leo hanging up the phone. 

"Wanted to know when we were coming over?" asked CJ. 

"Yeah" 

"Well, then, come on Rose time to get a bath and get dressed to go to the White House" said Desiree as she held out her hand to her. 

By 9:00 that night Rose was ready to crash and burn. She was coming down from the sugar high she had been on for hours, as were Jed and Josh. CJ and Leo packed up the kids, along with the large pile of presents their friends had given to the kids and headed for home. 

The week between Christmas and New Year's was relatively slow at work. CJ and Leo spent more time than usual with the kids. Both of the kids, Rose especially was in her glory, getting to spend so much time with her parents and grandparents. 

All CJ and Leo wanted for the New Year was a bit more of the peace and quiet. And they had it, until Leo organized a bipartisan breakfast. 

And CJ had her first run-in with a heinous bitch named Ann Stark. Albeit, she never actually WORKED with her. 

Toby did. 

Which was even worse. 

By the time the breakfast had collapsed around their ears, Leo was tired and cranky, snapping at Rose and CJ, and completely ignoring Pat. 

CJ finally cornered him in his office. "You're being a bastard," she growled, slamming the door shut behind her. "You can't stand that somebody fucked up, and so you're taking it out on your children -- well, Leo, I'm not gonna have it. Either you fix it now, or I'm taking the kids and going on a trip until you do." 

Leo could only watch as she slammed the door behind her. He stood up and went to the window. The sky was gray and the weather damp, fitting in nicely with his mood lately. 

"What stupid ass Irish thing did you do now?" came Josh's voice from the doorway. 

Leo seriously considered just throwing him right back out the door but something made him stop. He turned and waved Josh in. Josh made himself comfortable on the couch and waited for Leo to confess. 

"I don't know. I guess I've been a little moody and somehow have managed to take it out on CJ and the kids" said Leo, his voice sounding to much like a guess and not enough like a declaration. 

"You *guess* that's what happened? Leo, I can assure you that's what happened" said Josh quietly. 

"Yeah, I know" 

"Well then, fix it" said Josh as he turned to leave. 

"How can I fix it?" Leo sighed after Josh left. 

"How can you fix what?" came Jed's voice from the doorway. 

"Nothing, sir..." 

"CJ told me she's taking a personal leave. Want to tell me why?" Jed's stare was icy. 

"Because I've fucked up." 

"No, really?" 

Leo sank down onto the couch, head in his hands and proceeded to tell Jed the whole story. Jed listened quietly. 

"Well, Leo, you certainly managed to screw things up this time" 

"Thank you, sir" said Leo trying to sound sarcastic but ending up sounding more weary than anything else. 

"Go home. Take the rest of the day to talk to your wife. If you need a sitter, bring the kids back here" 

"Jed, thanks, but you do have a country to run, you don't have time to baby-sit" said Leo with just a hint of a twinkle in his eye. "Besides, Desiree is there today." 

"OK, then go." 

Leo nodded and started to pack his briefcase full of files and notes. 

"Leo, bringing your work home is what got you in the mess in the first place. Leave the bag here" 

"Yes, sir" 

Leo set the briefcase back down and sighed. 

"Leo, now." 

"Yeah." Leo put his suit jacket back on and headed for CJ's office. The door was closed, so he knocked. 

"WHAT?!" 

He opened the door. "We're going home." 

"What? It's the middle of the day, Leo. I have work to do." she said as she turned her attention back to the wires that Carol had just put on her desk. 

Leo stepped up, took the papers out of her hands, grabbed her coat and stood in front of her. 

"Presidential orders, let's go" 

CJ sighed as grabbed her coat from him before he had a chance to help her put it on. She slammed down the light switch and headed down the hall. Leo had to practically run to keep up with CJ and her long legs. 

"What the hell is the matter with you?" he asked, puffing his way down the hallway. 

"I should ask you the same thing," she snapped. "At least *I* leave work at work." 

Many staffers stopped to stare at this incredibly terrible sight. CJ and Leo never brought personal problems into the office. 

"Jesus Christ, Claudia -- I'm the White House Chief of Staff! I..." 

"Goddamn it, Leo -- this isn't going to fix ANYTHING!" 

"I'll agree with you on that on, CJ. People are staring so let's just go home and talk" said Leo nearing the point of exasperation. 

"FINE" she said as she pushed the door open. She let it go behind her. Lucky for Leo he had been paying attention or he would have had a broken nose to add to his list of problems. 

The drive home was silent and tense. CJ flipped radio stations until Leo shut the radio off completely. She glared at him, but didn't say a word, just crossed her arms over her chest. 

When they got to the house, CJ was out of the car in a flash and inside before Leo could even get out of the car. He sighed and lumbered up the steps with his usual "cowboyesque" waddle slowly. 

He'd never tell CJ, but his back was bothering him at the moment, too, which made it all that much harder to keep up with her OR even so much as walk a ways. 

"CJ went upstairs," Desiree said when he passed her by. "Do you want to take Pat up?" 

"Not right now, thanks. We need to talk." 

"Okay." 

Leo trudged slowly up the steps, and by the time he made it to the landing, he was breathing heavily and let out a pained moan that brought CJ out of their room in a flash. 

"Leo?" 

Leo was standing on the landing, leaning heavily against the wall. He was pale and sweating. 

"Leo, what's wrong" asked CJ forgetting completely about being pissed at him. 

"Back hurts. I'm fine, just leave me alone" he growled as he limped his way into the bedroom. He sat down carefully on the edge on the bed. CJ stood in front of him and reached out to feel his forehead. 

"No fever." 

"CJ, I'm not sick. I'm just stressed out, cranky and...and old" he sighed. 

CJ managed to stifle the giggle that was threatening to break loose. 

"Leo, you're not old. Why don't you take a warm bath. I'll make some tea and we can talk" 

"Shout, you mean." 

"No, Leo -- we're going to talk like the adults that we are." She kissed him on the cheek. "You know I love you, but you piss me off." 

"Yeah, I know both of those things" he said with a sigh as he stood up slowly and made his way to the bathroom. 

Fifteen minutes later Leo was relaxing in the tub, waiting for CJ. She came in and handed him a cup of tea and a couple of Advil. He took them as she kicked off her shoes and sat on the edge of the tub. 

"Well?" he asked as he took a sip of the tea. 

"Well what, Leo?" 

"Well, for starters, I'm sorry. For everything. I know I've been a real bastard the last few weeks." 

"You can say that again" muttered CJ. 

"Damn it, CJ. I'm trying to be serious. You haven't been exactly been Miss Understanding over the past few weeks either." Leo spit out as he ran a hand through his hair. 

"Fair enough. Continue" she said. 

"OK, I've brought too much stuff home that should have stayed in the office. The thing I'm most ashamed of is how I've treated the kids. I know I've broken Rose's heart more than a few times since the damn breakfast. Pat's probably forgotten who I am by now." 

"Ya think?" she shot back. "I at least will go in and tuck them in at night, no matter how late it is, Leo -- what kind of a father have you been lately? A crappy one, lemme tell you. Rose doesn't want to have anything to do with you! What kind of a ..." She stopped and closed her eyes, trying to fight back the tears. 

Leo was speechless. What could he say? He had screwed up big time and he knew it. He felt himself falling into old habits. Staying late at the office, ignoring his family, bringing work home, distancing himself from his friends. The thing that scared him the most was that these old habits were too closely associated with his former drinking days. More than once since that fateful breakfast he had contemplated taking a drink. A fact that he hadn't shared with a soul, not even CJ. 

"We've got to work this out, Leo -- or else... or else the kids and I are going to have to leave for a while," she said softly. "I don't want to, and I'd hate being away from you, but I can't let you hurt our children." 

"CJ -- I..." 

"I'm not like Jenny, Leo. If you hurt the kids, we're gone in a heartbeat." 

"What can I do?" 

"Leave your work at work. Make time to spend with the kids. If we are fighting about work, that's fine, but we fight at work, not here." 

Leo nodded and then glanced away. 

"Leo, is there something you're not telling me?" asked CJ. 

"No." He turned away. 

"Leo -- don't lie to me. You can say anything else to me, but don't lie to me." 

"I've been wanting to... have a drink." 

"Oh God, Leo -- why didn't you TELL ME?!" 

"Why, to give you something else to worry about? I didn't do it. I didn't get any further than thinking about it. Didn't even pick up a bottle." he sighed as he stood up and motioned for CJ to had him a towel. 

She handed him a towel and just stared, not quite sure what to say. She was beginning to feel almost guilty, what if Leo wanted to drink because of something she did? 

"Leo" she said quietly "Did you want to drink because of...I mean did I do...was it something I..." 

"It was everything in general and nothing in particular" sighed Leo as he left the room. He went into the bedroom and crawled into bed. 

She followed him and gently stroked his back as she sat next to him. "What can I do to help?" 

"Nothing. It's me, not you, CJ." 

"Okay -- I'm sorry." She leaned down to kiss him on the cheek. 

"Want to lie down for a while?" he asked, almost hopefully. 

"As much as I would like to lie down for a while alone with you, I think there are probably 2 little people who would like to snuggle up with both of us right now" 

"Yeah" he smiled. 

CJ went to get the kids while Leo threw on some sweats. Rose flew into the room with the excitement that had been missing over the past few weeks. Leo ignored the pain that shot through his back when she landed on the bed. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek. 

CJ handed Pat to him and went to change out of her work clothes. She joined them a few minutes later. 

She smiled, seeing Leo loving the kids again like he had seemed not to in so long. "You guys comfy?" she inquired. 

"Yeah," Rose said from her place propped up on her father's knees. 

"Not really, but I can live with it," Leo said with a smile. He was nose-to-nose with Pat, and Pat was smiling and drooling. 

"Is it your back?" CJ asked, suddenly worried. 

"Yeah, but I'm fine." 

"You sure?" 

Leo nodded. The four of them snuggled on the bed for over an hour. Rose got some books from her room and CJ read to them for a while. Pat and his father both dozed off and on until finally they were both sound asleep. 

"Honey, let's let Daddy and Pat sleep for a while. They're really tired. How about we go make some cookies for dessert tonight?" 

"OK, Mommy" agreed Rose. 

CJ moved Pat to the other side of Leo, next to the wall so he wouldn't roll out of bed. She kissed them both and turned out the light. 


	8. You Could Drive a Person Crazy 8

**You Could Drive a Person Crazy**

**by: Ginny and Becky**

**Pairing(s):** CJ/Leo  
**Category(s):** Alternate Universe  
**Rating:** MATURE  
**Disclaimer:** The usual, not mine etc.  
**Summary:** CJ and Leo, Alternate Universe  
**Feedback:** Feedback is appreciated.  


* * *

Part 8 

CJ and Rose made chocolate chip cookies, making quite a mess as they did. They didn't notice that their giggling was as loud as it was, until Leo stumbled downstairs, bleary-eyed and with a still-sleeping Pat in his arms. 

"What on earth is going on in here -- and why is there flour all over the floor?" 

"We made cookies, Daddy" declared Rose proudly. 

"Cookies, it looks like you made a mess" teased Leo. 

CJ wiped her hands on a towel and took Pat from Leo. She put him in the playpen in the living room and went to run upstairs to get him a blanket. She went to return to the kitchen but stopped short when she saw her husband and daughter. 

They were sitting side by side at the counter. Their blond heads bent together, they were deep in conversation. CJ couldn't quite hear what Leo was saying but it did sound like he was trying to explain his actions over the past few weeks and to apologize. Rose was patting Leo's back as if to comfort him. It was all CJ could do not to burst in to tears. 

"It's okay, daddy," Rose assured him loudly. "I love you." 

"I love you, too." 

"And I haven't been... happy.... either." 

"Why not, sweetpea?" Leo asked gently, glancing up at CJ in the doorway. 

"The kids at school are mean to me. They say bad things about me that hurt my feelings." Rose had an infinitely sad look on her face. 

"What kind of things do they say, honey?" asked CJ as she entered the room and stood behind Leo. 

"They say I'm stupid. I'm not good at math like they are, but I'm not dumb," Rose protested angrily. 

"No, you're not dumb or stupid, sweetie," Leo said, kissing her on the cheek. "Do you need help?" 

"Yes." 

"Maybe I can help you?" 

"Will you, Daddy?" The hope in her eyes made CJ want to cry even more. 

"Rose, why don't you get your homework. You and Daddy can sit at the kitchen table and work while I make dinner." 

She smiled and jumped down from the stool to get her books. Just then Pat woke up, demanding to be picked up. CJ started to go for him when Leo waved her off and went to get his son. Soon Leo and the kids were at the table going over the finer points of first grade math while CJ cooked. They were a regular Norman Rockwell painting. 

Well, maybe not quite, but things were hopefully looking up. 

Over the next few months things improved greatly at home. Leo was really making an effort to spend time with the kids. Rose thrived on the attention. 

Things at work were hectic. Everyone was getting ready for the State of the Union. The speech was a big hit but the fallout from Jack Sloane and Colombia was enough to give them headaches for well over a week. 

And then there was the filibuster from Stackhouse. That caught them all off guard and they had to scramble to get through that. 

CJ sat at the kitchen table one morning not long after the filibuster, just sitting. She had a cold cup of coffee in front of her, and the copies of the papers that showed up every morning lay on the table in front of her, untouched, unopened. 

Even her bagel hadn't been touched. 

She felt sick, but didn't know why. It was something that had been eating at her for a while, but she couldn't put a finger on it. 

Leo came downstairs, suspenders hanging down, tie still undone, looking absolutely adorable. 

"Hey, you didn't eat. Not hungry?" he asked as he grabbed her bagel and sat down. 

"No, not really." sighed CJ. 

"You're not...ya know...preg.." 

CJ cut him off with a hand over his mouth. 

"NO" 

She watched him for a minute as he ate the bagel and read the paper. There was something about him lately. Something she couldn't quite figure out. 

"How was dinner the other night?" she asked. "You never did tell me, and I was in my office most of the night, e-mailing Dad." 

"It was a nice chicken." 

"Leo..." 

"And there was too much sugar in the creme de caramel." 

She sighed. "You've been worked up about something ever since then." 

He quickly turned his gaze away from her, afraid of what would show in his eyes. He hated keeping things from CJ. He had to keep reminding himself he was keeping information from CJ Cregg, Press Secretary and not from CJ, his wife. 

CJ stood up and went to stand behind him, her hands went to his shoulders, gently massaging them. 

"OK, tell me this. Is there something you are keeping from me because you have to, not because you want to." 

"Yeah" said Leo with a huge sigh. 

He tipped his head back to look at her. 

"Something big?" 

"Yeah" he said sadly. "I'll tell you as soon as I can. I promise" 

She nodded. "Okay." She smiled and leaned down to kiss him. "You're really cute in the morning, you know that?" 

"Yes, I do know that -- you tell me such often enough," he teased. "You... you do know that I'm keeping this thing from you because you're the Press Secretary, not because you're my wife, right?" 

"Yeah." 

~~~~~~~~~~ 

Things were fairly normal for a few weeks. CJ and Leo celebrated their first anniversary and Pat celebrated his first birthday. They had had a small party at home for their close friends. 

Pat was just starting to take a few wobbly steps on his own. He was sporting 6 teeth and a dozen word vocabulary. He had Leo's smile and unfortunately his tendency to be up before the sun. 

But all things considered, life was pretty good in the McGarry household. 

~~~~~~~~~~ 

CJ sighed to herself as she curled up on the couch. She had spent the last few days sick in bed with a nasty case of the flu. Leo had to practically force her to take some time off. 

Now it was Friday night, Rose was spending the night at a friend's house and Pat was asleep in his room. Leo had just called and said he would be late. Apparently things were not going well with the Correspondent's Dinner speech. He also said he had to stick around for a meeting with Jed and Toby. His explanation about that meeting was beyond vague and in her drugged state CJ was imagining all sorts of things. 

Leo didn't get home until well after 3 AM, and when he did, he found CJ sitting upright in her bed, covers drawn up tightly around her, sound asleep. She was still flushed with fever, but she wasn't looking like she'd get sick all over him at any moment. 

He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead, and she stirred slightly, then relaxed again. "I love you, sweetheart," he whispered. "Whatever happens, please know I love you." 

He was just getting ready to lie down and go to sleep when Pat began to fuss in his room. He groaned and woke CJ up as he practically fell out of the bed. He went into Pat's room and picked him up. "You hungry?" Leo asked gruffly, smothering a yawn. 

Pat's little fussy noises turned into a full-fledged screaming fit, and Leo noticed that he was awfully warm. "Okay, Pat, m'boy, we're gonna get your temperature taken..." 

CJ came up behind Leo a little shakily. "He's been running a low-grade fever all day," she volunteered weakly. "But it's probably worse. He might have the flu, too." 

"OK, you go back to bed. I can handle this" said Leo as he took CJ by the arm and steered her towards the bedroom. 

"You sure?" asked CJ with her eyebrows raised. 

"Claudia Jean, I am a grown man, I can handle a sick toddler. Go back to bed. Do you need anything?" 

CJ shook her head, kissed them both and went back to bed. 

Leo took Pat in the bathroom and managed to figure out the ear thermometer. 

"OK, Pat, 101.1, not too good. How about some juice and some Advil?" 

Leo grabbed the bottle of Advil from the medicine cabinet and the two of them went downstairs. Leo got Pat to take the Advil without too much fuss but wasn't having any luck with the juice. He searched the fridge for something else. Everything he held up, Pat just shook his head firmly. 

"NO, NO, NO" 

As a last resort Leo looked in the freezer. Bingo---popsicles. 

Pat grabbed for a red one. Leo got them settled on the couch and turned on CNN. Pat protested that too. 

"Pooh, Pooh" he cried. 

"OK, Pooh it is" said Leo as he got up to pop a tape in the VCR. 

Pat did settle down once the movie started. He ate the popsicle and curled up on Leo's lap. Leo dozed off and on for a little while. Eventually the movie ended and Pat fell asleep about 5:00 AM. Leo laid him down on the couch and went to make some coffee. He had been in the kitchen all of two minutes when he heard Pat scream. 

Somehow Leo managed to think fast and he grabbed a plastic bowl out of the dish drainer. He scooped up Pat and held him over the bowl. 

"God, no more red popsicles for you" he muttered as he held Pat's little head. 

When he was reasonably sure Pat was finished he took him in the bathroom and cleaned him up. He took his temperature again. It had gone down to just under 100. 

"OK, Pat how about we try and get you back to sleep?" 

Leo grabbed the clean bowl out of the sink and took Pat up to his room. He wrapped Pat up in his favorite blanket and settled in the rocker. Pat seemed determined to stay awake, much to Leo's disappointment. After about an hour he gave up. He tried once again to get Pat to drink something but was not successful. He even refused another popsicle. 

"OK buddy, let's go see if Mommy's awake" 

Leo opened the door to the bedroom slowly. CJ was starting to stir. She sat up when she saw them in the doorway. 

"How's he doing?" she asked as Pat lunged out of Leo's arms and into hers. 

"Fever's down to 100, from 101.1, he threw up a little over an hour ago and he won't drink anything." said Leo as he sat down wearily. 

"Did you try a popsicle?" 

"Yeah, he had a red one, puked it right up" groaned Leo. 

"Couch or carpet" 

"Neither, I grabbed a bowl just in the nick of time, thank you very much" said Leo proudly. 

"Wow, I'm impressed. Let's just hope you don't get this. I know how cranky you get when you're sick." teased CJ. 

Pat squirmed in her lap. He pulled at her t-shirt. He had basically weaned himself over the past few weeks and hadn't nursed since CJ had gotten sick. 

"OK, honey, if that's what you want, that's fine with me." 

Pat settled down at her breast and Leo settled down next to her. Within minutes Leo was snoring softly and within a half an hour Pat was also sleeping. CJ put him down next to Leo and went to take a shower. 

After a hot shower and a cup of tea with dry toast CJ was feeling almost human. She sat at the kitchen table with her laptop and a stack of work Leo had brought home. 

She was completely engrossed in her work when she heard a loud, "OH GOD!" from the bedroom. 

"What happened?" she yelled up at Leo. 

"Uh.... nothing, dear." 

"Leo, when you use that tone of voice, I know something's disastrously wrong...." 

"Pat's diaper leaked." 

"So clean him up." 

"All over the bed, CJ." 

CJ sighed and decided to be nice and go up to help. She took Pat from Leo and got him cleaned up while Leo threw the sheets in the washer. Twenty minutes later Pat was on the couch watching Pooh; Leo was getting out of the shower. 

And CJ was again propped up on her elbow at the kitchen table, reading reports. When Leo came and kissed her on the cheek, she mumbled something inaudible about the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. 

"What?" Leo asked, getting a mug and pouring himself some coffee. 

"Nothing -- how did the meeting with Toby go?" she asked, yawning. 

"Fine," Leo answered noncommittally. 

"Okay -- can you make me some chicken broth?" CJ inquired sweetly, batting her eyelashes at him in a most beguiling fashion. 

Leo groaned and rolled his eyes as he went to the cabinet to get some broth. 

"No problem, dear" he smirked. 

"Good. Are you going in to the office today?" 

"Haven't decided yet. I'll stay home for a while and make sure you and Pat are ok by yourselves since Desiree has the day off." 

CJ chuckled. "We're fine, Leo. I can take care of my own child, okay? I did it long enough with Rose." 

"No, that's not entirely true," Leo contradicted with a smirk. 

"Shut up." 

"Have you ever really taken care of a sick child by yourself?" 

"Yes." 

"Have you done it whilst recovering from said illness?" 

"Shut up and go to work. We'll be fine -- and if not, I'll call. I promise." 

"OK, I'll pick up Rose from her sleepover and take her with me. Let the two of you suffer, I mean recover, in peace and quiet." 

Leo packed his things, kissed both of them goodbye and headed to pick up Rose. 

Rose was thrilled to go to work with Daddy. She spent the day wandering the West Wing in search of new adventures and junk food. By the early afternoon Leo realized he hadn't heard from her in a while and he went to track her down. He tried the usual places, Mrs. Landingham's desk, Toby's office and Donna's desk. Couldn't find her. 

He walked back to his office. The door to the Oval Office was ajar. He peeked his head in. Rose was on the couch, sound asleep. Jed was at his desk working away. 

"Looking for someone?" grinned Jed. 

"Yeah. Guess she didn't get much sleep at the sleepover last night. I'll just put her on my couch" 

"You will do no such thing. Leave her here" said Jed as he waved Leo back to his office. 

Leo closed the door behind him and chuckled a bit. At least when the world was all screwed up, he could count on a few things. Jed would always be a geek. CJ would always love him. And Rose could sleep anywhere. 

"Margaret, can you pick up some sandwiches for Rose and me for lunch?" Leo asked. 

"PB&J for the munchkin and what for you?" 

"Turkey's fine." 

Ten hours later Leo was regretting that turkey sandwich and everything else he had eaten during the day. 

CJ heard him head for the bathroom for the 4th time in two hours. She crept in after him, rubbed his back and got him a glass of water. 

Fortunately, CJ and Pat were both feeling much better by that time. Handling a sick Leo was enough, without worrying about Pat too. Donna had stopped by a little while earlier to take Rose for the night. 

"Here, rinse your mouth," CJ instructed, gently rubbing his back as he did. "Poor baby..." 

"I hate the flu." 

"Yeah." 

"And I'm not going into the office tomorrow." 

"Good." 

"I'm going to lie back down." 

"You sure?" 

"No." 

"Okay." 

She helped Leo back to bed and stayed until he fell asleep. She put the plastic bowl on the floor, just in case. 

The bathroom scene was one that was repeated numerous times during the night. CJ really began to worry about him when his temperature hit 102\. She was in the bathroom cleaning up and contemplating a call to Abbey when she heard a loud thud from the bedroom. 

She rushed in from the bathroom and found Leo sprawled, face-down on the floor. "Sweetheart -- Leo!" she said, trying to shore him up a little. She managed to put her wrist on his forehead and bit back a harsh gasp. 

She laid him back down, turning his head so he wouldn't smother in the carpet, and grabbed the phone. 

"What?" came the President's angry shout. 

"Sir, it's CJ -- I need to talk to Abbey right now." 

"She's sleeping." 

"It's Leo -- he's got whatever the hell this virus is, and he just collapsed.... and.... and he's running a high fever. I can't tell how high. He's like a damn dead weight!" She was practically sobbing. 

And that's when Pat woke up and began to bawl. 

She grabbed stood up and ran to make sure Pat hadn't gotten sick all over the crib. He hadn't, she scooped him up and ran back to the bedroom. Leo was coming around and trying to sit up. She sat on the floor and picked the phone up again when she heard Abbey yelling. 

"CJ, are you there?" 

"Yeah, I'm here. Pat started screaming. OK, Leo's coming around. Abbey, he's so hot" 

"Honey, calm down. Jed's on the other line calling Margaret to see if she can come over and give you a hand" 

"Abbey, it's the middle of the night" whined CJ. 

"Don't worry about it. Now, can you grab the thermometer and take Leo's temperature for me? I'll wait on the line, take your time." 

CJ grabbed a pillow from the bed and stuffed it under Leo's head. She got the thermometer and took his temperature. 

"Abbey, it's 102.7" she cried. 

"OK, here's what we are going to do. Margaret is on her way, she should be there in 15 minutes. Leo's probably just dehydrated. If he comes around enough to stand then you drive him to GW, if he doesn't call 911\. Let me know when you're on your way, I'll meet you there." 

"OK, thank you" whispered CJ. 

"No problem -- what's the point of being a doctor if..." 

Leo stirred and moaned before throwing up. 

CJ scowled at her husband, and said, "Abbey, I'm gonna kill someone in about ten seconds." 

"Yeah, I know the feeling." 

"I gotta clean him up. I'll call you when we get to the hospital" 

CJ tossed the phone aside and turned to deal with Leo. Luckily he had managed to hit only the little throw rug that was in front of the chair. She rolled it up and pushed it aside. 

"Leo, you think you can get up" she asked as she touched his shoulder. 

"Yeah, just give me a hand" 

Working together they managed to get him to the bathroom and cleaned up. Pat had managed to climb up on the bed and was once again sound asleep. CJ glanced at the clock, 3:00 AM. 

"Margaret's on her way over to watch Pat. Abbey wants you to go to GW." 

"No" whined Leo. 

"Leo, you have to. You're sick." She helped him change clothes. "Okay, slow down just a bit -- don't overdo it." 

"I never once babied you like this when you were sick." 

"Because I wouldn't let you, Leo." 

Leo started to say something but stopped suddenly. 

"You gonna be sick?" asked CJ. 

He took a deep breath and shook his head. 

"Good. You sit here, I'm going to throw a few things in a bag and get changed." 

Not knowing how long they were going to be at the hospital she threw in a change of clothes for both of them, a few books for her, their cell phones and her laptop. By the time she was closing up the bag Margaret was knocking on the front door. 

CJ helped Leo down the stairs and grabbed the car keys off of the breakfast island. She let Margaret in and gave her a very short, cursory list of what was where, etc., and then they were on their way to the hospital. 

She had to pull over twice to let Leo be sick on the roadside. 

They got the strangest looks from two motorcycle policemen one time when they did it, but then they must have recognized her or him or both, because suddenly, they had a police escort to the hospital. 

She was sure the emergency room was expecting them when a wheelchair and a Secret Service agent were waiting at the door. Leo was taken to a room immediately. CJ stayed for a minute while he got settled in a bed and then she went to call Abbey and to start filling out the mountain of paperwork. Abbey must have been sitting in the car waiting for her call because she was there in mere minutes. 

CJ led her to Leo's room and they went in. The doctor was still there. Abbey stepped right in and all but took over. 

CJ chuckled tiredly and shook her head. Abbey whirled to look at her. "Park your butt, woman," Abbey barked. "You're gonna get this again if you're not careful." 

"Oh God, nothing could be worse," CJ laughed, sitting down in one of the plastic chairs and yawning. She couldn't help it -- she fell asleep almost instantaneously. 

Two hours later CJ woke up, stiff and sore from sleeping in a chair. She rubbed her eyes and looked around. Leo was asleep in bed, an IV stuck in his left hand, oxygen prongs in his nose. He looked so pale. Abbey was sitting at his side, making notes on his chart. 

"How is he?" croaked CJ as she walked over to the bed. 

"He's better. He's dehydrated from all the vomiting and he's exhausted. His fever's come down a little but it's still over 101. Normally with a case like this I'd order a few more hours of IV fluids and send the patient home. But I want to keep him here a little longer, overnight if he doesn't throw too big of a fit" 

"Overnight? Abbey, what aren't you telling me?" asked CJ nervously. 

"Nothing honey, I swear. He's going to be fine. It's just that it's easier to keep him in bed here in the hospital, where I have any number of sedatives, should I need them" chuckled Abbey. 

"He's been under so much stress lately. I don't even know why. There's something he's not telling me. Something he's keeping from me. Whatever that is, it has been eating at him for weeks." sighed CJ. 

Abbey looked away, almost guiltily. "I'm sure he'll tell you when the time is right, CJ -- but until then, he just needs to rest." 

"Okay," CJ said warily, not quite believing her. 

"You need some rest, too -- I'll have them push in another bed for you, okay?" 

"No, Abbey -- I don't want special favors. I'll..." 

"You'll get some sleep or I'll sedate you. You've barely gotten over this thing yourself -- no need for you to overdo it, too." 

"OK" whispered CJ. 

"I have to go back to the White House for a little while. I'll be back to check on you two later. Call if you need anything" 

Abbey gave CJ a quick hug and kissed Leo's cheek before leaving with her agent. 

CJ spent the rest of the day glue practically glued to Leo's side. Mallory stopped by and everybody from work called to check in. Leo slept most of the day. He got sick a few more times in the morning but by afternoon he had managed to drink half a can of ginger ale and keep it down. By early evening he was getting restless and cranky. 

And CJ was feeling sick again. 

"You want to watch some TV?" she asked, fumbling at the remote, rubbing her eyes behind her glasses. They just wouldn't focus on any one thing. 

"Yeah -- you feeling okay?" 

"I'm fine," she snapped. 

She clicked on the TV and settled back in her chair, propping her feet on Leo's bed. She fell asleep instantly. Leo scanned the channels for a while, nothing was holding his attention. The orderly brought the tray that held what could only charitably be called dinner, broth and red jello. Leo picked at the jello and drank some more ginger ale. He was about to grab the phone to call Margaret when he saw a head peek through the door. It was Josh. 

"Come in," Leo barked. 

"I'm, y'know, afraid to catch something, so I'll put on my mask first, and...." 

"Josh, you're a freak," CJ mumbled in her sleep. 

"Well, thanks for that vote of.... she's asleep?!" 

"Yeah," Leo said, gesturing for Josh to come in. "What'sup?" 

"Nothing -- just wanted to check on you. Is she really okay? She looks kind of sick again." 

"Josh, I'm lying in a hospital bed hooked up to God knows what, do you really think she would tell me if she was feeling sick?" glared Leo. 

"Probably not." 

Josh stayed keeping Leo company for about 2 hours. CJ eventually woke up and Leo convinced her to have Josh drive her home. She was feeling a little better but was glad to be heading home. 

"You sure you'll be ok?" she asked as she smoothed down Leo's hair. 

"Honey, I'm fine. You need to get some sleep. Just don't forget to pick me up in the morning." 

"I won't. You get some more rest too, I love you" said CJ as she kissed his cheek. 

"Josh, I'll meet you out in the lobby" said CJ as she left the room. 

Josh just kind of stood there and stared at Leo for a few seconds. 

"What?" asked Leo gruffly. 

"Nothing." said Josh. 

He looked at Leo's tired face. There was something in his eyes. Something that had nothing to do with a nasty case of the stomach flu. 

Josh pulled up a chair and took a deep breath. 

"Leo, what's going on? I get the feeling something is about to hit the fan and I have no idea what it is." said Josh as he looked Leo straight in the eye. 

Leo couldn't hold his gaze and he just looked away. 

"After you take CJ home, come back here, we'll talk" 

"You sure you're up to it?" 

"Yeah. Don't tell CJ you're coming back here." 

Josh nodded as he squeezed Leo's hand. 

The ride back to the townhouse was mostly silent. "You feeling okay?" Josh asked. 

"I wish you'd quit asking me that, Joshua. I'm fine. I just don't think I've entirely shaken this bug yet, okay? I'm fine." She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. 

"Okay. How's Pat doing?" 

"He's still sick. And now I'm afraid Rosie's gonna get this, and we all know what a brat she's like when she's sick." 

"Yeah -- takes too much after Leo." 

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that." 

Josh chuckled as he parked the car in front of the townhouse. He walked CJ in and stayed to read Rose a story. Desiree was back and she was getting Pat ready for bed. He said his goodbyes and drove back to the hospital. 

When he arrived at Leo's room he was shocked to see a group of Secret Service agents milling around outside. 

"Guess I'm not the only visitor" he muttered to himself as he nodded towards the agents and pushed the door open. 

Leo was awake and complaining to the nurse who was hanging a new IV bag. Jed was sitting in the chair rolling his eyes at his best friend. The nurse took Leo's temperature, noted it on the chart and left the three men alone. 

"Good evening, Mr. President. I didn't know you would be joining us" said Josh as he took off his jacket and pulled up a chair. 

"Leo called me after you left and asked me to come over" 

"OK, why am I getting the feeling something's about to hit the fan?" 

"Because, unfortunately, it is." sighed Jed as he took a deep breath and prepared to tell Josh everything. 


	9. You Could Drive a Person Crazy 9

**You Could Drive a Person Crazy**

**by: Ginny and Becky**

**Pairing(s):** CJ/Leo  
**Category(s):** Alternate Universe  
**Rating:** MATURE  
**Disclaimer:** The usual, not mine etc.  
**Summary:** CJ and Leo, Alternate Universe  
**Feedback:** Feedback is appreciated.  


* * *

Part 9 

CJ recovered enough to go back to work the next day. She fumbled a little at the briefing, but it was nothing she couldn't fix. 

The day stretched into night, and she was a little surprised when Leo and Toby came to talk to her about something. "Okay -- I'll put that in for first thing tomorrow," she agreed. 

"CJ, I need to talk to you -- can we go to the Oval?" Leo said. 

"Sure.... why can't we..." 

"Because it's a thing." 

"Oh." 

"CJ -- I'll be in my office when you're done," Toby said. 

"Okay." 

She followed Leo over to the Oval Office, unaware of marching her own path into doom. 

An hour later CJ basically stumbled out of the Oval in a daze. Leo had tried to follow her but she just waved him off and said she was going to see Toby. Leo understood. 

CJ managed to hold back her tears until she saw Toby. The second he opened the door the tears started. He gave her a sad smile, took her hand and led her to the couch. She cried on his shoulder for a while, unable to really talk. When she had calmed down they talked. About the President, about the fallout that was sure to come in no time, about the unwitting roles they each had played in this horrific cover-up. They talked about stupid things, the things old friends talk about when they get together. 

Leo checked in with them before heading home. CJ and Toby had just ordered Chinese food when he appeared in the doorway. He declined their offer to stay and eat with them. He was still recovering and wanted to get home. He pulled CJ out into the hall for a few minutes. He needed to be reassured that she wasn't pissed at him for keeping the secret. She wasn't, as hard as it was, she understood. It had nothing to do with her being his wife, it had everything to do with her being the Press Secretary. 

He told her to take her time getting home. With a a kiss and fierce hug he was on his way. 

An hour and a half later the coffee table in Toby's office was filled with empty takeout cartons and iced tea bottles. They sat in opposite corners with their legs stretched out the length of the couch. Just like old times. 

"So, it's just Sam left to tell. I want to wait until he's done with the speech for the thing. Think that's a good idea?" asked Toby as he scooted down to rest his head on the arm of the couch. 

"Yes and no. True he needs to finish the speech without having this to worry about but he's going to be pissed when he finds out he was the last to know. He still hasn't forgiven you for the drop-in. Personally, I think you should wait. 

"Yeah, I think we will wait" agreed Toby. 

They sat in silence for a while, lost in their own thoughts, until Toby stretched his legs. 

"Stop kicking me!" she teased, nudging his feet off the front of the couch. 

"Hey, quit hogging the couch with your freakishly long legs," Toby shot back putting his feet back on the couch. 

CJ just smiled at him and sighed. This was the Toby she had missed over the past week. 

"What?" asked Toby 

"I think that's the first time I've seen you smile in a week. I've missed hearing you laugh. I was really starting to worry about you, and, of course, about Leo. I don't know how you kept it to yourselves" 

"It was only a week for me. Leo held on to that secret for over a year" 

"Yeah, he did. But I don't think it really started to bother him until they told you. Guess it was easier to push to the back of his mind when it was just him and the President." 

"Suppose so" muttered Toby as he rubbed his eyes tiredly. 

They sat in silence for a while longer until both of them started yawning. CJ got up off the couch and found her shoes while Toby cleared off the coffee table. 

He walked her to her car. 

"Thank you," said CJ with all the sincerity in the world. 

"For what?" asked Toby curiously. 

"For waiting for me, for making sure I was going to be all right. And mostly for just being you." 

Toby reached up, wiped away her tears and kissed her on the cheek. 

"You know, I'll always be here for you. That I, well...love you," whispered Toby. 

"Yeah, I love you too, always," whispered CJ as another round of tears made their way down her cheeks. 

She gave him a quick hug and go into her car. 

"Hey, Toby. Don't stay here all night. Go home and get some sleep" she said as she wagged her finger at him. 

"I will, I promise. Kiss the kids for me. I'll see you tomorrow" he said as he made his way back to the building. 

Leo had tried to stay awake until CJ got home. He was sure she would want to talk. But it had been a long day and he was still recovering. 

CJ found him curled up on the overstuffed chair in their bedroom sound asleep. His glasses were still on and he still had a few files in his lap. She nudged him gently. 

"Leo, honey. Why don't you get in bed" she said softly as she leaned down to kiss his forehead. 

"CJ?" he muttered, still half asleep. 

"Yeah. Come on, let's get you to bed" 

She took his hands and pulled him gently to his feet. He climbed in bed and she tucked the quilt around him. 

"We need to talk..about MS..major problems" he muttered. 

"Ssshh, it's ok. We'll talk in the morning. Go back to sleep" CJ murmured as she rubbed his back. 

"Kay" mumbled Leo as he fell back into a sound sleep. 

CJ didn't sleep that night, just held Leo until the phone rang at about 3 AM. She sighed and answered it. 

And at 5:30, she was sitting outside of the White House Counsel's Office, unsure of what was to come. 

By the end of the night, she was so very close to completely losing it. She had been slapped around, abused, and was just ready to fight someone. So she told Leo she was walking home and not to wait up. She would get there when she got there. 

He understood. 

She wandered in a little after 2:00 AM. Leo was still up, pacing the living room. CJ kissed him hello without saying much. She motioned towards the stairs and went up to change. Leo turned out the lights and followed her. He was sitting on the bed when she came out of the bathroom. 

"Do you want to talk?" he asked quietly. 

"No. Don't take it personally though. Between the briefings and my lovely visit with Oliver I've talked enough for today. Just hold me." 

"Of course" he said as he kicked off his slippers and climbed into the bed next to her. 

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

A few days later, in basically the middle of the night, CJ and Leo, along with Jed and the rest of the senior staff met with Joey and Kenny in the basement. CJ and Leo had walked down together, in silence, both of them wishing for just some piece of good news. But it wasn't to be. 

Later, while Leo was in the Oval with Jed discussing yet another situation CJ was in the basement arguing with Sam over how Jed should announce his condition to the public. After much debate a 30 minute live interview followed by a press conference was decided. 

Leo had spent the remainder of the day handling Haiti and Big Tobacco. All he wanted to do was to go home and kiss the kids. He stopped by Charlie's desk to see if he could get a few minutes with Jed before packing up for the night. Charlie was staring at the phone. 

An hour later, Leo was standing in his wife's doorway, looking absolutely shell-shocked. 

CJ glanced up from her salad, and stared at him. "You okay?" When he didn't answer, her tone became a little more anxious. "Leo? What happened? What's..." 

"Mrs. Landingham was killed in a car wreck at 18th and Potomac about two hours ago," he said softly, coming in and sitting down on her sofa, wrapping himself up in the quilt her mother had made. 

She sat next to him and held him tight. Tears ran down both their faces. They were so wrapped up in their own feelings about the situation that they almost forgot the hardest part of all. They had to tell Rose. 

It was late when they got home and they debated whether or not to wake her. But, like Leo she was an early riser and they didn't want to take a chance that she would get up in the morning and turn the television on. 

So CJ sighed and steeled herself before going into Rose's room. She turned on the Winnie-the-Pooh lamp by the bed and gently brushed Rose's hair back out of her face. "Sweetie, can you wake up?" she asked softly. 

"Mmmm...." Rose moaned. "I'm sleeping..." 

"Nice try, munchkin," CJ chuckled. "C'mon, open your eyes. We need to talk." 

Rose sat up and rubbed her eyes. She saw her mom and dad standing next to her bed. Even half asleep she could tell they had been crying. Leo sat on the bed and pulled her onto his lap. 

"Daddy, what's wrong" she asked. "Why are you and Mommy sad?" 

CJ took a breath to speak and suddenly found herself unable to speak. She looked at Leo, her eyes pleading with him to tell Rose. 

He held Rose tight and quick as he could he explained everything. As expected she burst into tears. Her loud sobs echoed down the hallway and woke up her brother. CJ grabbed Pat and the four of them settled down in CJ and Leo's bed. 

There wasn't much sleep that night. Every time Rose would go to sleep, she'd wake up not much later, saying she could see Mrs. Landingham in her dreams and she wanted a cookie. 

Which would in turn wake CJ and Leo up, and Pat was never far behind. 

Finally, around 5, CJ got up and put Pat back into his crib, as he was actually sleeping, and went to take a shower. She stood for almost an hour in the hot spray, but couldn't wash away the emotional dirt that clung to her soul. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Three days later CJ stood in front of the mirror getting dressed for both work and a funeral. Rose sat on the bed watching her. After going back and forth for days CJ and Leo had decided to have Rose go to the funeral. They had left her home the night before when they had gone to the viewing but they thought the funeral would provide her with some closure. 

She was handling things pretty well considering. Mrs. Landingham's death brought up a lot of questions regarding Richard's death. Both CJ and Leo had made time to sit with her and answer all of her questions. 

CJ knew Rose would be fine. At the moment she was more worried about Leo. 

They went to the office, and Rose trotted off with her father to sit in his office and play with the Legos Margaret kept there for her. 

CJ went about her work, every so often sending Carol to check on Leo and Rose. And then it was time to load up into the cars and head off to the National Cathedral. 

CJ went to retrieve Rose, and found her sound asleep on the couch in Leo's office, curled into a little ball around the teddy bear Mrs. Landingham had given her a few weeks before. 

CJ fought back her tears. She looked at Leo, who looked about as lost as she had ever seen him. He was sitting in the chair next to the couch, watching his daughter sleep. He hadn't even noticed CJ in the doorway. She quietly crossed the room and knelt in front of him. 

"Leo" she said as she gently touched his knee. "It's time to go. Do you think you can carry her?" she said as she cast a glance towards the couch. 

At that moment Josh appeared in the doorway with Donna. He saw how utterly worn out Leo looked. 

"I'll carry her" said Josh as he patted Leo's arm. 

Leo mumbled his thanks and allowed CJ to lead him out the door. Donna grabbed the teddy bear and the four of them made their way to the waiting cars. 

Rose woke up when Josh was carrying her into the National Cathedral and the organ music startled her eyes open. "Mommy?!" 

"I'm here, sweetie," CJ assured her behind Josh's shoulder. 

"I want my bear -- where's my bear? Where's Delores?" Rose asked, her lip trembling. 

"Donna, the bear," CJ said. Donna handed the black teddy bear over, and CJ passed it to Rose, who curled up on Uncle Josh's shoulder with it and was silent, just listening to the organ. 

"Let's sit down, sweetie," CJ said, and Rose shook her head stubbornly. "Why not, honey?" 

"I want to see Mrs. Landingham," Rose said very quietly. 

Leo heard this and tried not to shudder. 

CJ had to think fast. She made a note that the coffin had not been brought in to the sanctuary yet. She turned toward Leo with a look in her eye that shouted *HELP*. 

Jed had heard Rose and whispered something to Leo. Taking a deep breath Leo shrugged his shoulders at CJ and held out his hand to Rose. 

"CJ, do you want to come with us?" he said quietly. 

"I can't" she mouthed. 

Leo nodded and asked Donna and Josh to keep an eye on her. 

Ten minutes later Leo and Rose slid into the pew next to CJ. Rose seemed fine but tears were streaming down Leo's cheeks. 

CJ wiped away the lone tear that slid down her cheek, and Rose smiled up at her mother, and took her hand. "Mrs. Landingham loves you," she whispered, kissing her mother's hand. 

CJ stared at Leo, unsure of what to say to that, but the service began at that moment. 

Rose sat quietly throughout the whole service. She followed along in the hymnal and watched with awe as the pall bearers hoisted the coffin up on their shoulders. 

CJ took Rose outside while Leo talked to Jed. Leo came out a few minutes later and they returned to the White House. Desiree stopped by with Pat for a little while and then took both of the kids home. 

CJ threw together the last of her notes for the press conference and sighed as the rain continued to pour down outside her office window. It was almost as if the sky itself wept for their lost friend. 

She stood up and tucked her hair behind her ear, going over to Leo's office, where the President was receiving a weather update from Donna. 

She went over some last minute instructions with the President; all the while still unable to believe it was answer B. When she was relatively sure he knew what she needed him to do she left the office and went to say goodbye to Leo. 

Fifteen minutes later she was in front of the microphone, facing hundreds of reporters who all had one question on their minds. 

She fielded as many questions as she could, and dodged the others without obviously dodging them. She was good -- she had learned to do it from necessity. 

Carol looked up at her and nodded almost imperceptibly, and CJ announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States." 

When Jed approached, she hissed to him, "First on your right," and went to take her place to his left on the stage. 

She stood by Josh and Sam. She wasn't quite sure where Leo was but she didn't have time to look for him. She held her breath while she waited for the President to call on Lawrence Altman. 

She let out the breath, shut her eyes and bit the inside of her cheek to keep from screaming when he called on Sandy. 

She looked over her shoulder in an effort to find Leo. She thought she saw him in the corner. Her eyes turned back towards the podium as Sandy repeated her question. She watched as Jed put his hands in his pockets, looked away and smiled. Something sparked in her memory. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Leo point something out to Toby. 

And she held her breath again. 

"Yes, Sandy, I intend to seek a second term," Jed said. 

And CJ's knees almost collapsed beneath her. It took everything in her considerable emotional reserve not to start crying then and there. 

And she was doing a pretty good job of holding herself together until she looked to her left and saw tears of joy making their way down the cheeks of Sam and Josh. Suddenly she was pulled into a hug by both of them. They were quickly joined by Leo, Charlie and Toby. She saw Donna and Margaret slowly making their way towards them. 

Jed held up his hands to try and get the room quieted down. Eventually the noise level died down a little and the press conference continued. 

And when it was declared over, they all rode back to the White House. 

CJ and Leo were nestled in each others' arms in the limo, all comfortable and cozy. It was such a relief to be finally out from under the horrible week and in the clear. 

CJ kissed Leo on the cheek and smiled. "Leo... how would you feel about having another baby?" she asked. 

His eyes widened. 

"Are you just wondering or is it a little late to be asking me my opinion?" he teased. 

"Uh, could be a little late" she said sheepishly. 

"CJ, excuse me for asking but aren't you on the pill?" he asked. 

"Yeah, but I also spent 4 days puking my guts up last month. Remember, nothing stayed down" 

"Oh" he said as the light bulb came on over his head. 

"Yeah...." CJ said with a nod. "So... uh... since you had something to do with this, what do you think?" 

"I think.... the more the merrier!" Leo laughed, kissing her. "Can we name her Delores?" 

"Leo, you're so sure it's gonna be a girl?" she said with a grin. 

"Yeah. I want another little princess to spoil." 

"You just may get your wish" smiled CJ as she put her head on his shoulder. 

They begged off the impromptu celebration in the West Wing, instead opting to go home and spend some well deserved time doing absolutely nothing. 

The house was quiet when they got home. The kids and Desiree were all sleeping. Leo went in to run a tubful of water while CJ got undressed. 

They climbed in the tub and stayed there for almost two hours. They hardly talked. They were content to bask in the peace and quiet that had been missing from their lives for the past few months. 

Peace and quiet that would soon be missing again. 

When the water in the tub turned icy, they climbed out and got dried off, laughing at how pruny they had gotten. CJ smiled and bent down to kiss him before slipping into her nightgown. 

"Love you, even if I don't say it," she whispered. 

"I know. Love you too" he whispered. 

The next few days were just about as frantic as they come. CJ was even busier than Leo. She was spinning things to the best of her abilities; living on take-out, coffee and very little sleep. She was heading for a fall and Leo just hoped he could catch her. 

They were doing their morning Staff ritual in the Oval Office about a week after the press conference, when the President announced that Mariah Campbell had been named the special prosecutor. 

CJ flinched. "Mariah Campbell?" she mumbled, looking a little sick. 

"Yes, Mariah Campbell," the President said. "Do you know her?" 

"She used to make fun of me in grade school," CJ sighed, making a face. 

The *boys* did their best not to laugh at that comment and to their credit, they did fairly well. 

CJ was the first to leave to office after the meeting. Leaving silently she walked briskly back to her office with Leo struggling to catch up to her. He got to her door just as she was about to slam it shut. Unfortunately he misjudged the force with which she pushed the door and only managed to get the tips of his fingers in the doorway before it shut. 

CJ ignored his yell of pain, and went to sit at her desk, putting her head in her hands. Leo shoved the door open and scowled at her. 

"And just what the hell was that little display supposed to accomplish?!" he roared. 

"It seems I'm the only person on this goddamn staff who can do anything or who knows anything... Leo, she's going to eat us up and spit us back out and take on the President for dessert." Her face was haunted. 

"What do you mean, chew *us* up and spit *us* back out, and chomp on Jed for dessert?" he asked, suddenly worried about her state of mind. 

"Leo -- she'll dig up the affair, and... she'll spin it into a character attack on both of us -- she'll bring in Jenny, she'd try to bring in Richard if he wasn't dead..." She sighed and rubbed her eyes. "And she'll spin it so it looks like we're guilty of something beyond not revealing the MS when we knew about it." 

"Wow, I kind of never thought about it that way. I've been so wrapped up in the MS angle of things, so worried about Jed. I haven't taken the time to consider what'll happen to us." 

Even though it was barely 10 in the morning he dropped wearily onto the couch. CJ sat next to him and grabbed his hand. She gave it a big squeeze but unfortunately for Leo it was the hand she had just slammed in the door. He screamed, she screamed and Carol flew in the door. 

"Carol, can you find Leo an icepack?" asked CJ. 

"Sure" she said as she closed the door behind her. 

"Leo why didn't you say something?" asked CJ as she took a good look at the pinky on Leo's left hand. She could already see the base of the nail starting to bruise. 

"It's nothing" he said as he pulled his hand away. 

"It's not *nothing*. I'm sorry" she said quietly. 

"It's a bruise, CJ." He looked away and sighed. 

"Leo -- it's more than just a bruise. It's something else entirely that's bothering you so much, isn't it?" she whispered, smoothing his hair with her fingertips. 

"Yeah." 

"Tell me?" she asked as Carol came in with an icepack. "Thanks, Carol." 

She stood up, locked the door and closed the blinds. She settled down on the end of the couch and pulled Leo's head down into her lap. Taking his hand gently she wrapped the ice pack around his finger. 

"So, you gonna tell me or do I have to start guessing" prodded CJ. 

"I don't know, it's kind of complicated" 

CJ burst out laughing. 

"What's so funny" he asked. 

"It's just that, that was the same line you used on me the first night we meet, when I asked you about Jenny" smiled CJ. 

He chuckled a little. "Well, it's not like I'm gonna tell you I have a fancy woman holed up somewhere..." he teased. 

She smacked him upside the head. "You'd better not!" 

"I don't. You're enough fancy lady for me," he replied with a grin. 

"C'mon, Leo, being sweet isn't gonna get you out of telling me," CJ prompted with a smile. 

"It's the whole... the MS, the baby, the... Grand Jury investigation on the horizon... it's all coming down and... I don't know if we both can survive it. And I'm worried more about you than about me and the kids, and that scares me." 

"Why are you more worried about me?" 

"Honey, you've been running around like a lunatic for days now. And things are only going to get worse before they get better. You're not taking care of yourself, you're not eating or sleeping. What if you are pregnant? Look we've always been there for each other, through good and bad. I'm worried that we're going to be so wrapped up in all this crap that we won't make it" 

"What do you mean, *won't make it*?" 

Leo took a deep breath before continuing. 

"I'm worried that all the pressure will drive us apart. We're going to be so busy. We're not going to have time for anything. I'm worried about the kids. Rose is at an age where kids can be so cruel. She doesn't need to hear the other kids saying nasty things to her about Jed, about us." sighed Leo. 

"If you're suggesting, Leo, that we're going to get so far apart that... that it's going to be a repeat of you and Jenny... Let me just say that I would DIE before I would let that happen!" she said forcefully. "And children will be cruel no matter what we do to try to prevent it, Leo. Rose loves Jed with all of her little heart, and she knows he loves her, and that's all that's really important to her." She kissed Leo on the forehead. "And if we don't make it individually to the other side, that's what the other is for. To come back and the pull other through." 

"Yeah" sighed Leo as he sat up. "I just get so scared sometimes. I feel like I've been living this dream and sooner or later I'm going to wake up and it will all be over." 

CJ reached over and pinched his ear. 

"Oww, what the hell was that for?" he whined, rubbing his ear. 

"To prove you're not dreaming. Now, haul you ass off my couch and get back to work" smirked CJ. 

"Yes ma'am" he grinned. 

She took one last look at his finger before he left. 

"Take this with you" she said as she grabbed the ice pack off the couch. "If you run in to Abbey today have her take a look at that, please?" 

"Sure. Love you, see you later" 

"Love you too" she said as she closed the door gently behind him. 

The rest of the day was hectic to say the least. CJ announced to the press the name of the special prosecutor, and the fallout from that was almost immediate. 

When she was leaving the podium, she felt suddenly faint, so she grabbed the edge of the podium to prevent a fall. The press room held its breath as Carol grabbed CJ and held her up, and Leo suddenly blew into the room to scoop CJ up into his arms and carry her out of the room, despite her very loud, extremely vocal protests. 

Danny raised an eyebrow and smiled to himself. 

Abbey had the television on in her office. She grabbed her bag and took off running for the West Wing when she saw CJ. She ran faster than anyone in four inch heels should be able to. She arrived at the door to CJ's office just as CJ had stopped yelling at Leo. 

"OK, CJ what seems to be the problem?" she asked, eyebrows raised. 

"Uh, I slammed the door on Leo's finger?" said CJ feigning innocence. 

"Claudia Jean, I meant with you" smirked Abbey. "Although I will look at his finger later." 

CJ rolled her eyes. "I think I'm pregnant, and I'm a little shaky and Leo's OVERREACTING AGAIN!" 

"Oh, is that all? Have you had your vitamin supplements prescribed?" 

"Abbey, I haven't made it in to see the doctor yet," CJ sighed in exasperation. "And for God's sake, put that damn bag away!" 

"I'll put it away if you promise to pick up a test kit on the way home" agreed Abbey. 

"Fine. Now look at Leo's finger" 

Leo rolled his eyes and held out his hand to Abbey. She pushed and bent his finger while he tried not to scream. 

"Boy CJ, how hard did you slam that door?" mused Abbey. "I don't think it's broken. You'll probably lose the nail eventually. It's gonna hurt like hell for a few days so I'll tape it to your ring finger" said Abbey as she produced a roll of white tape from her bag. "Now, if the two of you don't knock it off I'm going to start charging you for office visits" 

CJ laughed a little and reached over to ruffle Leo's hair. "Hey, knock it off," he growled, grabbing her hand and kissing it. 

"Oh, I'll knock it off -- gimme your letter opener," she teased. 

"We're in YOUR office," he pointed out. 

"Well, yeah, okay," she laughed. She stopped abruptly and swayed unsteadily on her feet. 

Abbey took her by the shoulders and pushed her down on the couch. CJ tried to protest but Leo cut her off by placing a hand over her mouth. 

"Carol!" yelled Abbey out the door. 

"Yes, ma'am" she said as she stuck her head in the door. 

"Can you run over to the drugstore on the corner to pick up something for CJ?" 

"Uh, sure. What do you need?" 

"A pregnancy test" 

Carol broke out in a grin as CJ rolled her eyes and Leo muttered something about CJ driving him crazy. 

"Yeah, well you drive me totally crackers!" CJ yelped, blushing. 

"Yeah, well... you both need to learn a little restraint -- or at least the proper use of birth control," Abbey muttered. 

"I was on the pill, Abbey," CJ said, her tone a little sharp. 

"But you were also on antibiotics for that sinus infection, too," Abbey pointed out. "And most antibiotics completely negate the effectiveness of the pill." 

"Oh shit," CJ mumbled. 

"And as you so eloquently put it, you spent 4 days puking your guts up" added Leo. 

"Out, out. Everybody get the hell out of here" yelled CJ as she pointed towards the door. 

"Let me know the results" called Abbey over her shoulder as she walked out of the room. 

Leo just stood there smiling at CJ. 

"You too, get out" she said, pointing towards the door again. 

"Why?" he asked. 

"Because you've already done enough." 

"Oh, well, if you're gonna be that way..." 

"Leo -- I..." 

"Hey, baby, if we are gonna have a baby, it's a good thing. Remember, we never even talked about Rose, and look what a blessing our little girl is." 

"She sure is. Look, when Carol gets back I'll come over to your office and do the test. We can wait together, ok?" 

"Deal" he said smiling. 

Forty five minutes later they had the results. The McGarry household would be gaining a member sometime in early 2002. 

CJ was sitting on Leo's lap as she called her doctor to make her first appointment, wriggling a little bit and making him more than a little uncomfortable. She hung up the phone and moved some more. 

"CJ, if you don't stop, I'm gonna..." 

"Gonna what, Leo?" she asked innocently. 

"I'm gonna clear the desk and ravish you on it," he muttered through clenched teeth. 

"Well, then...." CJ said with a smug smile as she shifted her bottom against him some more. 

Margaret heard the door lock and she smiled to herself as she turned up the radio and got back to work. 

An hour later CJ emerged looking fairly well pulled together, all things considered. Margaret just smiled as CJ blushed deeply. 

By the end of the day their news had spread to the Oval Office. Jed came in to congratulate Leo. 

"So, guess you're no so old after all?" mused Jed. 

"No, I'm definitely old -- Jed, for God's sake, I'm gonna die before this kid has kids," Leo sighed, rubbing his forehead. 

"Yeah, so?" Jed smiled a crooked grin. 

"Well... I... ah..." 

"Way to go, old man," Josh said, coming into the room with a brief. Not just any kind of brief, either -- a pair of BVDs, to be precise. "Sam left these on my desk." 

"Are they yours? Do they have your name in them?" smirked Leo. 

"No no, no." 

"Maybe they're Toby's. He's been pretty happy lately. Maybe he's getting some." mused Leo. 

"You just had to say that didn't you. The thought of Toby getting lucky while Sam and I, well, are unlucky at the moment, that's just wrong." 

The President chuckled. "Y'know, I think I saw Toby and Bonnie leaving the building together yesterday..." 

"Oh, EW!" Josh groaned. 

"Or maybe Sam left his underwear on the desk again," Sam muttered, coming in to grab them. "Sheesh. I had a static thing going on, and they fell out on the way into the building." 

Jed, Leo and Josh broke into peals of laughter loud enough to draw the attention of Margaret, Donna and the Secret Service. When he was able to actually speak Leo threw everyone out of his office, except Jed. 

"So" said Jed as he made himself comfortable on Leo's couch. "Three little ones?" 

"I know. Pretty scary isn't it" whispered Leo. 

"You're tellin' me..." Jed teased with a smile. "I had three girls. You at least got a boy in there." 

"Yeah, but..." Leo sighed and didn't say anything more. 

"Leo?" 

"I... I don't relate to Pat like I do Rose. Pat's his mother's boy, and he doesn't really even like me that much. But Rose... she just... she adores me, Leo. Is... am I so terrible a father?" 

"Leo, you're a terrific father, don't ever doubt that. Kids are different. Take the girls. Elizabeth and I are close and Zoey's my baby, but Ellie...things are completely different with her. She's just closer to Abbey than me. It's been that way all her life. But I love her and I know she loves me. Pat adores you but he's closer to CJ, so what? That's just part of life." 

Leo shook his head. "He doesn't adore me, Jed. It's been different for a while now. I didn't want to say anything, to give it credence, but, Jed -- he doesn't want much of anything to do with me." 

"Leo, you're sounding a bit too much like a mother there," Jed teased. 

"Mr. President, that isn't funny." 

Margaret raced into the room. "LEO!" she yelled. 

"Wha...?" 

"Desiree and the kids were in a car wreck, Desiree's in critical condition and Pat's pretty banged up. Rose is... Rose is... she's in surgery right now." 


	10. You Could Drive a Person Crazy 10

**You Could Drive a Person Crazy**

**by: Ginny and Becky**

**Pairing(s):** CJ/Leo  
**Category(s):** Alternate Universe  
**Rating:** MATURE  
**Disclaimer:** The usual, not mine etc.  
**Summary:** CJ and Leo, Alternate Universe  
**Feedback:** Feedback is appreciated.  


* * *

Part 10 

Leo just stood with his hand over his mouth. Margaret put her arm around him and led him to the couch as Jed jumped up to call for a car to be brought around. He called Josh to go with Leo. Ron would follow them and secure the building so Jed could come and be with them. Josh appeared at the door in mere minutes. CJ and Carol were already on their way to the hospital. 

Leo made his way blindly to the waiting car and settled in for a torturous ride. 

When he arrived at the hospital, he was directed to Pat's room, where a nurse was sitting with him and CJ. 

"Like I said, he's pretty shaken up, so you might try keeping things as calm as possible for the next few days," the nurse said, glancing up at Leo, standing in the doorway. "Can I help you, sir?" 

CJ looked up and saw him. "This is my husband -- Pat's father. Leo,..." She tried to say something but began to cry instead. 

He crossed the room to take CJ in his arms. He sat her down in the chair and leaned against Pat's bed. Pat was pretty groggy, he had a few stitches over his left eye and Leo could see the bruising from the car seat straps on his little shoulders. He whimpered a little when he saw Leo and he held up his arms. 

"Daddy" he cried as Leo quickly wiped his tears and picked him up gently. 

He kissed Pat's head and looked at CJ with questioning eyes. 

"She's got a broken leg, collarbone, and she's broken a few ribs, but..." CJ's voice faltered. "It's pretty bad, Leo. Her carseat... it didn't... it fell apart!" 

"Shh... shh... Rosie's gonna be fine," Leo promised, kissing CJ gently. "She's gonna be fine." 

Jed appeared in the doorway as Leo tried to hold CJ together. But who was going to hold Leo together? he thought to himself. Pat saw Jed first and tried to reach out to him but quickly pulled his little bruised arms back in pain. Leo and CJ looked up to see Jed in the doorway. 

Jed hugged them both as CJ gave him what information they had on Rose. Pat squirmed in Leo's arms towards his godfather. Jed took the boy from Leo and sent him and CJ out to get a cup of coffee. 

With an agent outside the door and his godson snuggled on his lap Jed prayed. 

CJ and Leo returned about an hour later, CJ's eyes stained dark with exhaustion and fear, and Leo looking sad and defeated. They sat down with Jed, who had a sleeping Pat in his arms, and held onto each other. 

Not long later, a doctor came to find them. "Mr. and Mrs. McGarry?" 

"Yes," Leo spoke for them both. 

"Rose is going to be fine. We just moved her into post-op. Desiree, on the other hand..." The doctor's voice trailed off into nothingness. "I'm sorry." 

CJ's hand went to her mouth and she made a dash for the bathroom. Luckily Abbey entered the room at that moment. She motioned for Jed to put Pat in the crib and take Leo into the hall. 

She opened the bathroom door just enough to sneak in. She knelt next to CJ and rubbed her back gently. 

"I'm... okay..." CJ gasped. "Oh God... what are... what are we going to do?!" she sobbed, making herself sick again. 

"Shh... shh..." Abbey whispered. 

Fifteen minutes later CJ had managed to pull herself together enough to leave the bathroom. 

"I have to call Desiree's family" she said. 

"I'm sure Leo's doing that, honey. Just sit here" said Abbey as she motioned towards the chair. 

Pat had fallen back to sleep. CJ pulled the chair closer to him and reached her hand over to stroke his hair. 

Jed and Leo came back a few minutes later. Just as Abbey had predicted, Leo had made the heartbreaking call to Desiree's parents. Jed pushed Leo into the other chair before following Abbey back out into the hall. 

"I'm going to the recovery room to check on Rose" said Abbey. "Why don't you find out where Josh went and fill him in. Call Sam so he can let the others know what is going on" 

"I will" said Jed. He was suddenly exhausted and it showed. 

"In a little while, I want you to go home and get some rest yourself. You cannot afford to let yourself get too run down. OK?" 

"OK" whispered Jed as he pulled Abbey into his arms for a quick hug. 

CJ sat over her son, gently rubbing his back, barely touching him, for fear of hurting him more. "I love you, baby," she whispered. "Mama's here." 

Leo couldn't help but notice how run down and sick she looked. "Sweetie, you need to get some sleep," he whispered, putting his arm around her shoulders. 

"I'm fine" she said quickly. 

"Honey, you're not fine. I'm going to see about getting a cot in her for you" 

CJ didn't have the energy to argue and 20 minutes later she was sound asleep in a cot next to Pat's bed. 

Abbey returned to tell them that Rose was waking up and that they could go and see her for a few minutes. Leo was clearly torn between waking CJ and letting her get some much needed rest. In the end Abbey decided to stay with her and Jed accompanied Leo to see Rose. 

All things considered Rose looked pretty good. She had two pins in her leg, which was in traction. Her right arm was in a sling and she was pale. But her face was free from any marks. She was starting to stir when Leo sat down and took her good hand in both of his. 

"Rosie, it's Daddy. Can you hear me?" 

"Daddy" she whispered, her voice raw from the tubes. 

"Yeah sweetie, it's me" said Leo as Jed handed him a handful of tissues. 

"Wha... happened?" Rose slurred, blinking slowly. 

"You guys were in a car crash." 

"Is Pat okay? And Ree?" 

"Pat's okay, honey," Leo assured her, hesitating to say anything about Desiree. "look who's here to see you," he said, changing the subject. 

"Uncle Jed" whispered Rose. 

Jed leaned over to carefully plant a kiss on her forehead. 

"Hey, munchkin. How ya feeling?" 

"Leg hurts" said Rose groggily. 

"I know honey. We'll get the nurse to give you something to help it. You just rest. I'm going to go now and tell Aunt Abbey you're awake. I'll see you later" 

"Kay" murmured Rose. 

Jed patted her hand and then placed an arm around Leo's shoulders. "You need anything?" 

"No, we're fine, thanks" said Leo wearily. 

"OK, I'll see you in a while" said Jed as he leaned down to kiss the top of Leo's head. 

Leo smiled a little and turned his attention back to Rose. "Sweetie, can you remember what happened at school today?" he asked. 

"I didn't hit my head, Daddy," she said scornfully. 

"Okay -- then, what happened?" 

"We did spelling and math and art..." Tears suddenly filled her eyes. "I made you and Mommy a painting, but it was in the car." 

"It's ok honey, you can make another one soon." he whispered as he brushed back her hair. 

"Daddy, where's Mommy?" 

"She was asleep in Pat's room when I came up here with Uncle Jed. Do you want me to see if she's awake?" 

"Yeah" 

Leo walked to the nurses station and called Pat's room. Abbey answered and said that CJ was awake and they would be up in a few minutes. 

CJ gasped as she entered the recovery room. She tried to put on a brave face but was pretty unsuccessful. 

"Mommy, don't cry" said Rose as she held out her hand to her. 

CJ took it and sat down in the seat Leo had just vacated. Together she and Leo told Rose about Desiree. She got so upset that the doctor had to sedate her. After the visit was over Abbey was on the verge of sedating CJ as well. She somehow convinced CJ to go back to the residence for the night. 

Josh came back to the hospital as Rose was being moved into the same room as Pat. He came to stay the night with Leo. Which turned out to be a very good thing. Pat would only sleep if someone held him and the pain medication that Rose was given made her sick. So Josh spent the night on the cot with Pat and Leo spent the night sitting in a chair next to Rose's bed. 

By the time CJ and Abbey returned the next morning Leo and Josh were dead on their feet. Abbey sent them back to the residence and stayed with CJ. 

Pat was released later that afternoon. He and Leo spent the night at home while CJ stayed with Rose. 

A week later Rose was out of traction and starting to learn to walk again. 

After almost a month in the hospital Rose came home. She was determined to get better and start 2nd grade in September with the rest of her friends. CJ was going to take some time off during the summer to take care of the kids and to find a new nanny. A nanny that was ready to handle 3 little McGarrys. 

CJ was almost 16 weeks pregnant. She was feeling pretty good. The morning sickness wasn't too bad this time around. She had actually been looking forward to wearing her maternity clothes for what she and Leo had decided would be the last time. 

The summer was rough on all over them. Their depositions were looming on the horizon and things were tense all around. 

Mariah Campbell seemed to be going out of her way to be courteous to the Senior Staff as they were brought in front of the Jury to have their depositions taken. Which, in CJ's mind, meant only that she intended to strike when she and Leo had their turns. 

And she was right. 

Leo's first day of deposition was uneventful, in fact, frighteningly enough, it was tame compared to even Josh and Sam's. 

Which made the zinger on the second day a complete surprise to him. 

"Mr. McGarry, do you consider yourself to be a moral, spiritual, and just man?" 

"I consider myself those things, yes," Leo answered truthfully. 

"Ah, yes -- well, then... why did you have an illicit affair with Claudia Cregg while you were still married to Jennifer O'Brien McGarry?" Mariah inquired with an icy smile. 

Leo paled considerably and reached for the glass of water to stall for a few seconds. He took a deep breath and answered the question. 

"Yes, Claudia Cregg and I were involved when I was still married to Jennifer McGarry." he said calmly and quietly, just like they had rehearsed. 

"And yet you still consider yourself to be moral, spiritual, and honest?" Mariah asked. 

"Yes, I do." 

"Adultery is moral? Adultery is spiritual? It's honest?!" 

"I never said that." 

"Then what are you saying, Mr. McGarry? A man that would lie about having an affair while still married would lie about the President's health, correct?" 

Leo looked defeated. "Yes." 

A eerie silence came across the room as the lunch recess was called. For at least a minute no one moved, no one even breathed. Leo got up from his seat and walked out of the room. CJ couldn't even move to follow him; she was rooted in her seat, unable to talk or move. She looked towards Josh with a helpless look on her face. He gave her a nod and went out to look for Leo. 

He found Leo outside leaning heavily against a lamp post. His shoulders were slumped, his hands stuffed in his pockets, head hanging down. Josh placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. 

"Leo?" he whispered. 

"I had to answer, Josh." 

"Hey, I know. But why she saved this shit for you... and CJ... I don't know." 

"How is CJ? I can't... I can't think about talking to her again right now." 

"She's upset, but that's to be expected. You okay?" 

"No, Josh, I'm not." 

When the hearing again convened, Leo was back on the stand, and Mariah Campbell was looking at him like a lioness about to pounce on some prey. 

"Mr. McGarry, the night of the assassination attempt on President Bartlet and the Senior Staff, who was in charge while President Bartlet was under general anesthesia?" 

"Vice President Hoynes was in the situation room" stated Leo. 

"But who was in charge, Mr. McGarry. Who was giving the orders?" asked Mariah, practically smirking. 

"We were working together to try to assess the situation" 

"Mr. McGarry, let's try this again" said Ms. Campbell, clearly losing her patience. "On the night of the assassination attempt, were you giving the orders in the situation room" 

"Yes" whispered Leo as once again a collective gasp came over the room. 

"No more questions at this time" said Mariah smugly. 

Leo's attorney rose from the table and started his questioning. 

"Was the scenario that Ms. Campbell described planned, Mr. McGarry?" 

"Planned?" asked Leo. 

"Did you and President Bartlet discuss what would happen if he suddenly became incapacitated? Or did he tell you to take charge that night?" 

"We never had a discussion about me taking charge, before or after I found out about his illness. As for that night, I had maybe 5 minutes in the trauma room with the President before he was taken to surgery. He told me to do a few things" 

"Mr. McGarry, what were those things he asked you to do?" 

"Suspend trading on the stock market, get the cabinet together and talk to Dr. Bartlet." 

"And what were you supposed to talk to Dr. Bartlet about?" 

"He wasn't specific but I assumed he wanted me to make sure that the anesthesiologist was informed of his condition. As it turned out I didn't even need to mention it to Dr. Bartlet. She talked to Dr. Lee as soon as she arrived at the hospital." 

"Typically, when the President is about to undergo general anesthesia, what is the procedure for transfer of power?" 

"The President is supposed to sign a letter giving power to the Vice-President" 

"And that wasn't done that night?" 

"No. Things were so frantic that it just...didn't get done" said Leo sighing a little. 

"But at no time, either that night or before, did you and the President sit down and have a discussion about not handing over power to Vice President Hoynes, should an emergency arise?" 

"That is correct" said Leo calmly. 

The rest of the questions from Leo's attorney were relatively benign and gave the people in the room little to gasp about. 

By three-thirty Leo was dragging himself into his office. CJ was giving a briefing. He sat on the couch, clicked on the TV and watched in silence, feeling guilty beyond belief at what he was putting his family through. 

Margaret watched from her doorway for a few minutes. The sight of Leo looking so defeated and lost was breaking her heart. She came in, sat down next to him and handed him a bottle of water and 2 Advil. 

"Thanks" he mumbled as he swallowed the pills and leaned back with his eyes closed. 

"You rest for a few minutes and then we'll do messages?" asked Margaret. 

"Fine" he smiled slightly. 

She patted his shoulder as she got up to leave. When she was just about at the door she glanced back at him over her shoulder. 

"Hey, Margaret...you're a good girl" 

She smiled to herself and shut the door behind her. 

When CJ finished her briefing, she headed directly for Leo's office. Margaret was still gathering messages to give Leo -- she already had a two-inch stack of little pink slips of paper -- so she waved CJ in. 

"Hey," CJ said softly, shutting the door behind her. "I saw the broadcast. You did good." 

He turned the chair away from the window to stare at her in incredulous disbelief. "You're kidding, right?" 

"No, Leo. You told the truth, no matter how hard it was going to be on all of us. You did good." CJ moved to sit gingerly on his lap. "I'm just a little afraid to see what Mariah Campbell tries to stuff down my throat and make me choke on tomorrow." 

"If she does anything... anything to... " 

"Leo, it'll be fine," CJ assured him, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Love you for thinking about it, though." 

"Yeah," he said softly. 

~~~~ 

"Ms. Cregg --" 

"I would prefer it if you used my married name." 

"All right. Mrs. McGarry... you have two children, correct?" 

"Yes." 

"What are their names and ages?" 

CJ looked confused for a moment before responding, "Rose Anne is seven, and Leo Patrick is almost 18 months." 

"You were married for a time to media mogul Richard Fowler, were you not?" 

"Yes." 

"And Richard Fowler is Rose's father?" 

"No." 

"His name is on her birth certificate." 

"Yes." 

"But he is not her father?" 

"Not by blood, no." 

"So, Rose Anne Fowler McGarry is whose child, Mrs. McGarry?" 

"I don't understand the relevance of the question. My daughter has nothing to do with the President's illness." 

"Answer the question, Mrs. McGarry." 

"Like I said, I don't..." 

"Isn't it true that Rose is Leo McGarry's child, a direct result of your affair?" 

CJ bit her lip. "Yes," she whispered. 

"And isn't it also true that Rose spent a lot of time with President Bartlet during his campaign for the Presidency?" 

"Yes." 

"Is it possible that she might have known about the MS before you and your husband, Mrs. McGarry?" 

"It is possible, but not likely. I doubt that either President or Dr. Bartlet would mention something like that around her." 

"But you acknowledge that it is, indeed, a possibility?" 

"Yes." 

Mariah nodded and smiled an exceedingly smug smile. "Will we issue a subpoena to your daughter as soon as we've finished questioning you." 

Leo, who had been sitting and listening to this exchange with increasing anger, leapt to his feet and yelled, "She's seven years old! What kind of testimony could she give you...." 

"MR. MCGARRY, YOU ARE OUT OF ORDER! *SIT DOWN, NOW!*" 

Leo grudgingly took his seat again, and CJ glared at Mariah Campbell with undisguised hate. "My daughter is not prepared to answer any kind of questions. I cannot allow her to testify in this investigation. She is seven years old. She probably wouldn't remember even if they had mentioned something to her." 

"Well, we'll just see. Now, Mrs. McGarry, your affair with Mr. McGarry while he was still married lasted how long, exactly?" 

"A few days." 

"A few days?" 

"Yes." 

"You really expect us to believe that your affair lasted only a few days?" 

"He was married at the time, and we both felt guilty about it afterwards. It only lasted a few days." 

"When you found out he was married, you didn't turn away his advances?" 

"No, I didn't." 

"Did you know about his alcoholism?" 

"Yes." 

"Did you know about his course of rehabilitation at the Sierra-Tuscon Rehabilitation Facility?" 

"I knew he was going into rehab, yes, but I didn't know where." 

"Mrs. McGarry -- you continued your association with Mr. McGarry even after your affair was over?" 

"I was public relations for Andrea Wyatt's office, and Congresswoman Wyatt is very concerned with labor in this country. I worked in conjunction with Leo McGarry's office for several weeks." 

"And..." 

"And what?" 

"And you continued your affair?" 

CJ blanched and swayed in her seat. 

Josh kept a firm hand on Leo's arm to keep him from jumping up. CJ steadied herself and took a drink of water before answering the question. 

"Mrs. McGarry, we you and Mr. McGarry involved while you were working with him?" repeated Mariah, clearly enjoying herself. "Were you having an ongoing affair." 

"Yes, we were involved. No, we were not having an ongoing affair at the time" 

"Mrs. McGarry, could you please explain your last statement" smirked Mariah. 

"We were together once during that time." whispered CJ. 

"And is it true that your daughter Rose was conceived during that one time?" 

"Yes" said CJ as she looked towards Leo. 

Josh was literally pulling Leo back down into his seat as the judge called for order. 

"Now, Mrs. McGarry, did Leo McGarry ever claim to the paternity of his child before you were married?" 

"That is not this court's business," CJ said coldly. "I wish you'd ask me something that I am willing to answer." 

"Okay, fine -- when did you find out about the President's Multiple Sclerosis?" 

"I found out in May. A few weeks before the President went public with the information." stated CJ simply. 

"And how long had your husband known about the President's illness?" 

"Since February of 2000" 

"And he never told you about it?" 

"No" 

"Very well. Did you have any clue that the President was ill before you were specifically told about the MS?" 

CJ shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "I was witness to a few things, yes, that made me wonder." 

"Such as?" 

CJ looked over at Leo, praying he understood she was not betraying him or the President or Abbey. "We made a campaign stop in Manhattan, Kansas, and I saw Dr. Bartlet give President Bartlet an injection." 

"An injection?" 

"I found out later from Dr. Bartlet that it was an injection of beta-seron to space out the attacks." 

"And at the time, you didn't think it necessary to ask?" 

"No, I didn't." 

"May I ask why not?" 

"Because the President has allergies and has to have a regular shot to prevent them from becoming extreme reactions. I guess I thought it was just one of those shots." 

"OK, fine. When the President has his regular physicals at Bethesda, do you report on them at your briefings?" 

"Yes" 

"Where do you get your information about the physical?" 

"I get test results from the hospital and I also talk to the President" 

"What do you ask the President?" 

CJ took a deep breath and prepared the mental noose around her neck. 

"I ask him if there's anything else I need to know" 

"You don't ask if there's anything you should know?" 

"No" said CJ as Leo dropped his head to his hands. 

"Again, may I ask why?" 

"Because I'm usually in a rush and I don't have the energy to carefully modulate every word I speak to the President. We generally don't speak in code. And, as you've pointed out amply enough today, I am a mother of two very active young children. I get distracted. I'm only human." 

"Mrs. McGarry, I think now is a good time to ask if you use the phrase 'is there anything else I need to know' as a shield of deniability, in case you do not want something you already suspect confirmed. Was this the case?" 

"No. It was simply my not choosing my words carefully." 

"You're sure about this?" 

CJ nodded. "Yes." 

Mariah looked up at the presiding panel and said, "I will postpone further questions until after the lunch recess." 

CJ thought *Questions?! What questions?! This is the fucking Spanish Inquisition times a hundred!* 

CJ slowly got up from her seat and started towards the door. She couldn't find Leo but that was fine with her. She didn't think she would be able to look him in the eye anyway. 

She made her way past the crowds and stepped outside to call and see how the kids were doing. As she hung up the phone she saw Leo materialize in front of her with two iced lattes and a weary smile. 

"Thanks," CJ mumbled, taking the coffee and looking away. 

"Hey, you're doing good up there," he said softly, patting her almost paternally on the arm. 

"Don't lie to me, Leo. We're not going to be these people, you hear me?" Her voice began to rise. "We are not going to be the people who lie to each other simply because we think we can't face what's happening to us! We aren't those people, Leo," she whispered, closing her eyes against the tears. "I'm not doing well, I'm letting her push my buttons, and then I hand her the glorious truth on a silver platter. It's Christmas Day for her, Leo. It's... she didn't want anything from Toby, Sam and Josh -- but she's out for blood with you and me. I don't pretend to know if she'll do the same with the President and Dr. Bartlet." CJ rubbed the palm of her hand on her forehead. "And I'm suppressing the need to go be sick while I'm up there. It's.... I don't know how I'm staying on the seat, Leo." 

Leo pulled her around the side of the building, into the shade and away from prying eyes. 

"God CJ, I'm not going to even pretend to know how you feel up there. There's no way I could. But you're doing fine. I'm serious. Look, you are telling the truth. No one expects anything else from you, especially Jed. You remember the speech he gave all off us a few weeks ago...the one about telling the whole truth, not lying to protect him, no matter how much it hurts.." 

"Yeah, I remember" she whispered as she took a seat on a nearby bench. 

"Honey, you're doing what he wants you to do." 

"I know. But could you keep reminding me of that fact 'cause I just feel like, by the time Mariah's done with me, I will have led Jed to the firing squad and handed him a blindfold." 

Leo smiled and giggled slightly. 

"What in the world could be funny right now?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. 

"Nothing, I just never heard you call the President by his first name before" 

"Oh" smiled CJ as she leaned over to hug him. 

Leo raised up his left arm to glance at his watch. 

"Time to be getting back in there" 

"Yeah," CJ sighed. 

They went back inside. 

The rest of the afternoon was spent answering yet more insulting, insinuating and degrading questions. 

By the time court was adjourned for the day, CJ was falling apart. She had been in tears on the stand at points, and it had been all Leo could do to keep from killing Mariah Campbell outright. 

They didn't even go back to the West Wing. They went straight home. 

CJ didn't say a word, just went upstairs and laid down on the bed, curling up into a tight ball. 

Leo tried to talk to her a few times but she had just had enough talking for one day. Just as Leo was scouring the cabinets for something quick and easy to make for dinner the phone rang. He grabbed it on the first ring so CJ wouldn't wake up. 

"Hello" 

"How's CJ?" asked the voice of the nation's leader. 

"Mr. President, it is customary to identify yourself on the phone before you start asking questions" sighed Leo wearily. 

"Fine. Leo, it's Jed. How is CJ?" 

"She asleep at the moment. She doesn't want to talk and I can't say I blame her. She's worried about hurting you, hurting me, hurting the kids, blah, blah, blah" said Leo as he picked up Pat and sat him on the counter, holding him with one hand and rummaging through the cabinets with the other. 

"Oh. She does realize that I'm not mad at her, right. Leo what in the hell are you doing?" 

"Yeah, deep down she does. Sorry, I'm trying to find something to eat." 

"What happened to the nanny, you didn't scare her off already?" teased Jed. 

"No, she's over at Georgetown, signing up for a class" 

"Come over here for dinner" 

"Jed, CJ is sleeping and the kids are running around" 

"Bring them over. I haven't seen too much of them lately" 

"Are you sure?" asked Leo, feeling a little bad that the President of the United States was offering to save him from cooking for his kids. 

"Leo, I wouldn't have asked if I didn't mean it" 

"OK, we'll be there in a little while" 

Leo hung up the phone. 

"OK, kids, we're going to Uncle Jed and Aunt Abbey's for dinner" 

Rose looked up from her homework. "But, Daddy...." 

"Bring it along." 

"What about Mommy?" 

"Mommy's not feeling well, sweetie. We're gonna let her sleep, okay?" 

"Is it because she was on TV and said things about you and Uncle Jed?" 

Leo stared at her. "How did you know about that?" 

"A man came to school and asked me if I knew about it." 

"What man?" Leo barked, getting more and more livid. 

"Just a man, Daddy. he didn't tell me who he was, just that he was a reporter with the Charleston Citizen." 

"Jesus Christ, Edgar Drumm...." Leo muttered, rubbing his forehead frantically. "Sweetie, did you tell him anything?" 

"I told him that Mommy's on TV every day, and went inside to tell my teacher." 

"Good. That was the right thing to do. If a reporter ever tries to talk to you, please, just go tell your teacher. Now, put your things in your backpack and get ready to leave" 

Leo watched as she carefully walked across the room to grab her things. She was still limping a little but she had made remarkable progress over the past few months. She was still not able to take gym at school but the doctor had assured her that after Christmas she could start to participate. 

Leo grabbed the diaper bag from the hall closet and quickly wrote a note for CJ. Grabbing Pat by the hand they walked down the steps and got into the car. 

The drive over was quick and Jed was outside waiting for them. 

"Hihi!" Rose squealed, making a beeline directly for Uncle Jed. 

"Hey, munchkin baby!" Jed said, hefting her up into his arms. "Wow, you've really grown!" 

"Yeah," Rose said with a shy smile. "So's Pat." 

"Yeah, I can see that -- c'mere, bugger," Jed ordered. Pat stubbornly shook his head and buried his face in Leo's shoulder. "Okay, nevermind," Jed chuckled. 

"He's being clingy," Leo explained mildly. "He was all over CJ last night." 

"It's ok. I'm sure he knows that something's up. Kids are pretty perceptive. Come on in. Abbey's in the kitchen. She convinced the staff to let her cook" said Jed as he took Rose by the hand. 

The kids played in the den of the residence as Jed and Leo hung out in the kitchen, annoying Abbey as she cooked. 

They had a nice simple meal of chicken and baked potatoes. The kids, and Jed, were on their best behavior. CJ called while they were eating and Jed took some time to talk to her and reassure her that she had done the right thing. 

When they got home, Leo had to carry to sleeping kids inside. Which was something he'd've had a difficult time with when he was young, let alone now. 

But CJ was waiting at the door to take them inside and put them to bed. "I'm sorry," she whispered when they were standing in Rose's bedroom doorway. 

"Sorry for what? You haven't done anything wrong." 

"I know. But i'm sorry for being such a ninny." 

"Hey, you're not a ninny. And you haven't been acting like one, either!" 

"Shh... you'll wake them up," CJ hissed. "C'mon -- we haven't had a chance to talk or anything since this blew up." She took his hand and led him into the bedroom with a smile. 

"Why do I get the feeling we're not going to be doing much talking tonight?" he asked with a smile. 

"Oh, we'll talk -- just later," she purred, kissing him tenderly on the lips. 


	11. You Could Drive a Person Crazy 11

**You Could Drive a Person Crazy**

**by: Ginny and Becky**

**Pairing(s):** CJ/Leo  
**Category(s):** Alternate Universe  
**Rating:** MATURE  
**Disclaimer:** The usual, not mine etc.  
**Summary:** CJ and Leo, Alternate Universe  
**Feedback:** Feedback is appreciated.  


* * *

Part 11 

CJ backed him up until his knees hit the bed and he fell backwards. He managed to grab both her hands on the way down and pulled her down with him. They lay there silently for a few minutes; wrapped in each others arms. A position that had not occured frequently in the past few months. Between work and the kids they hadn't made time for each other in what seemed like an eternity. 

"So, what did you guys have for dinner?" CJ asked, playing with his collar. 

"Chicken and baked potatoes." 

"Mmm... sounds good. I popped open a can of soup." She smiled a little. "Did you guys have a good time?" 

"Yeah." 

"Leo, what's wrong?" 

"I can't stop thinking about this thing." 

"What thing?" 

"Nothing." 

"Leo..." 

"Edgar Drummn ambushed Rose at school this morning." 

"WHAT?!" CJ shrieked. 

SHe jumped off the bed and lunged for the phone. 

"CJ, who in the world are you calling?" 

"I don't know" she yelled as she just tossed the phone back down on the nightstand. 

"Come here" whispered Leo as he held out his hand to her. "It's going to be fine. I talked to Rose and tomorrow I will talk to the school." 

"I promised myself I would never do this, but Leo... with the whole thing... I think she needs portection," CJ whispered. "I don't want anyone doing anything to her. Pat's easier to keep an eye on -- he doesn't do stupid things yet. But Rose... What did he ask her?" 

"I don't think he actually asked her much. He wanted to know if she knew what was going on. She didn't talk to him and she ran inside. I don't know about protection. Let me think about it, talk to some people. I don't want her singled out. I don't want to make her feel different, she's been through enough lately, with the accident and everything." sighed Leo. 

"I know, it's just that...she's my baby" 

"She's our baby" said Leo, correcting her with a smile. 

"Yeah." CJ bit her lip. 

"Now, whatever happened to not talking?" he teased with a smile. 

"You had that worried look on your face, Leo...." 

"I know." 

"Okay, really -- no more talking for a while." 

Leo started to say something but CJ pulled him on top of her and kissed him, hard. Within seconds Leo had lost the power of speech altogether. 

With fingers that were out of practice CJ fumbled as she undid the buttons on Leo's shirt. He somehow managed to untie the sash on her robe with one hand and push it off of her shoulders. 

CJ pulled back and giggled. "Y'know something?" she whispered. "I think we're really out of practice." 

"Well, yeah," Leo laughed, kissing her again. "Let's practice till we get it right. 

The next morning, CJ stifled an exhausted yawn as she took her seat in the Senate Chamber. 

"Did you sleep well?" Mariah inquired. 

"No, not really," CJ said with a smug smile. "My husband and I got to spend some quality time together for once." 

And for once, even if it was only for a split second, Mariah Campbell was speechless. 

Unfortunately she found her powers of speech rather quickly and went to work trying to rip CJ apart. 

But CJ was suddenly not possessed by guilt over being honest, and she went to work with it at astonishing speed -- however, always putting the best spin on things. 

By the time the day was over, Mariah was ready to spit nails at CJ, and CJ was merely serene, albeit with a smug smile on her lips. 

A smug smile that faded over dinner that night, when the subpoena for Rose's testimony came via messenger from the Justice Department. 

CJ read the paper and then threw it at Leo before stepping out onto the back patio. Leo asked Michelle to clean the kids up and get them ready for bed. He grabbed the afghan off of the couch and went out to find CJ. 

She was sitting on the ground, leaning with her back up against the only tree in their yard. It was chilly out, even for October. Leo wrapped the blanket around both of them and handed her his handkerchief. 

"Did you read the whole thing?" 

"No" 

"It says she can do it via videotape. She doesn't have to sit in front of the jury" 

"That's something, I suppose. God, Leo, she's seven years old. Hasn't she been through enough in her life, Richard died, Jed and Josh were shot, Mrs. Landingham died, Desiree died, she spent months learning to walk again. She's just now getting over her nightmares about the accident. Do you think she can even handle this?" 

"No, I don't, but what choice do we have?" 

"I know." She shook her head and began to cry. Leo held her close. "And thank God her testimony isn't due for a few days." 

"Yeah," Leo sighed, holding her close. 

The next morning, while CJ was again sitting shakily in front of the Jury, Jed had found out about the subpoena and was in the process of completely blowing his top. 

He had thrown everybody out of the Oval Office and was stomping around trying to keep himself from throwing something through the window. Abbey was making her way to his office to see if he had time for lunch. She rounded the corner to Charlie's desk and stopped dead in her tracks. She looked at Charlie with questioning eyes. 

"Rose McGarry was subpoenaed last night" 

Abbey sighed deeply and went into the Oval Office to try and calm down her husband, while she herself was about to start throwing things. 

"God dammit, Abbey, they're trying to crucify not only Leo and CJ, but now they're bringing a child into it -- goddamn it, I'm gonna stop this right now. I'm going to put in a phone call to the Justice Department and..." 

"No, Jed, you're not," Abbey said firmly. "You can't abuse your executive privileges, not at all, remember? You have to be above it all." 

"I have to at least lodge a protest, Abbey -- if they want me, they can have me, but goddamn if I'll let them have Rose!" 

"Jed, CALM DOWN!" 

"Abbey...." 

"Jed, listen to me. You cannot interfere in this." 

"Abbey, Edgar Drummn went to her school and talked to her yesterday -- Leo and CJ are considering Secret Service protection for her until this is over. For God's sake, I have to do SOMETHING to protect my friends!" He sat down on the edge of the desk and sighed. "I HATE feeling SO HELPLESS!" 

"I know sweetie" said Abbey calmly as she brushed back the hair that had fallen over his forehead. 

"It's just that Leo's been through so much because of me...I hate to drag his family, his kids, into this mess. What could Mariah Campbell possible hope to gain by deposing a seven year old kid? We never told her anything about my MS, she's just a kid" he sighed as he pushed off the desk and walked around the room. 

Abbey stood by his desk and watched him pace for a few minutes. She had seldom seen him this angry. After a few minutes he stopped as if he was suddenly too tired to continue wearing a path in the carpet. In a completely un-presidential move he threw himself face down on the couch, shoes and all. 

Abbey knelt next to him and rubbed his back gently. She tried to softly murmur some reassurances to him but wasn't having much luck coming up with any. She moved to perch on the edge of the couch, leaning over to massage away some of the tension in his shoulders. He relaxed a little, his breathing returned to normal and he stopped shaking. 

Abbey glanced at her watch and sighed. 

"Honey, I have to go. I have a meeting in ten minutes. You going to be ok?" 

Jed nodded, still face down on the couch. 

"Jed, I'd feel a whole lot better if you actually faced me when trying to convince me you are ok" teased Abbey lightly. 

He rolled over and smiled sadly at her with teary eyes. She wiped at the corners of his eyes with her thumbs before kissing his forehead. 

"Try to take it easy today" 

"Yeah, right" smirked Jed. 

Abbey caressed his cheek one last time and left to make her meeting. 

"Charlie" bellowed Jed from the couch "What's next?" 

~~~~ 

For the third day in a row, CJ was sitting in front of the Jury. 

"Mrs. McGarry," Mariah began, "you didn't tell us you were expecting another child." 

CJ flinched inwardly. "Well, thank you for broadcasting that to the world when we hadn't yet decided to make it public knowledge," she muttered. 

"We would have certainly offered you our most hearty congratulations, had you said something." 

*Like hell you would have.* "Okay." 

"Do you love your children, Mrs. McGarry?" 

"Yes, of course I do!" 

"And that love includes seeking medical attention for them when they are ill or injured, correct?" 

"Yes." 

"Do you have a regular doctor that your children see?" 

"We have a regular pediatrician, yes." 

"Who do you seek medical advice from in times of emergency or when you cannot reach your pediatrician." 

"Well, seeing as how Dr. Abigail Bartlet works just across the building and is the wife of my husband's best friend, I turn to her for medical advice when the need is warranted." 

"So you would seek medical advice from the woman who has been lying outright about her husband's health for years?" 

"Yes." 

"WHY?" 

"Because she is a doctor. And even if she did lie about the President's health, I trust her not to lie to me." 

"Why are you so trusting of Dr. Bartlet?" 

"I have no reason not to be. To my knowledge she's never lied to me. The medical advice she has given me in the past has been sound and I have no reason to doubt her abilities as a doctor." 

"Mrs. McGarry, before the news of the President's MS, did you ever ask Dr. Bartlet outright about the President's health?" 

"If you mean in the context of trying to find out if was suffering from some sort of serious illness, then no" stated CJ. 

"But you have, on occasion, inquired about the President's health?" 

"Sure, I mean, the President, like everyone else is prone to an occasional cold or flu, things like that. I'm sure I've asked Dr. Bartlet how the President was feeling in situations like that. But those inquiries came from me as a...as a...friend...not necessarily from me as the Press Secretary. I never grilled the First Lady about the President's health, if that is what you are asking" said CJ, getting more and more confused. 

"So you never confronted her about the fact that you we worried the President was concealing a serious illness?" 

"No" 

"Back in February of 2000, did the President have a case of the flu? And did he collapse in the Oval Office" asked Mariah as she got that gleam in her eye once again. 

"Yes, I believe he did have the flu. That what we were told. And yes, he did collapse in the Oval Office" stated CJ quietly. 

"Who told you it was the flu" 

"Dr. Bartlet" 

"And do you now know that that was a lie?" 

"I don't believe the exact cause of the President's collapse was ever determined." stated CJ strongly. 

"So it is possible he had the flu, but it is also possible he had an attack, correct?" 

"I tend to believe it was a combination of both, and I'm sure that's what Dr. Bartlet will say, as well." 

"Mrs. McGarry, are you aware that you have outright LIED to the White House press corps exactly 15,276 times since President Bartlet took office?" 

"Well, I didn't know the exact count, but yes, I do have to lie to the press at times." 

"Over fifteen thousand of them, Mrs. McGarry? Isn't that a bit excessive?" 

"Not when you're dealing with the most ruthless bunch of reporters in the world. There are things that no one in the White House are supposed to reveal to anyone else. And the press is included in that 'no one else'." 

"There was a leak a few months ago on school vouchers, correct?" 

"Yes." 

"And Toby Ziegler had you trying to find the said leak." 

"Yes." 

"Did you?" 

"Yes." 

"You're sure?" 

"Yes." 

"And... what measures were taken?" 

"Well, considering who it was who leaked it, none." 

"Isn't the usual policy on leakage like that immediate termination?" 

"Yes, but it was done with the support of the President, I found out later. It was an exercise in media management. And I kind of blew it." 

"Really?" 

"Yes." 

"But you found the leak." 

"After grilling 50 people who now hate my guts, yes." 

"And who was the source of that leak?" 

"I don't see what relevance this has to these proceedings?" 

"Mrs. McGarry, please answer the question" said the judge firmly. 

"Toby Ziegler" 

Just as Mariah had expected, the room erupted into a sea of gasps. She smiled to herself as the judge called for a 15 minute recess. 

CJ went out into the corridor and propped herself up against the wall, staring out into space. Leo hadn't come this morning because of a meeting with some of the Eurpoean Ambassadors, and thus she was feeling very out of sorts and panicked at having revealed such things as she had just done. 

When fifteen minutes was over, she went back in and took her seat. 

"So, Toby Ziegler, the White House Communications Director, himself, was the source of the leak on school vouchers?" 

"Yes." 

"Why?" 

"As an exercise in dealing with, well, leaks to the media. He already knew about the President's MS and was trying to get a handle on how we, as a staff, would cope with a small leak" 

"As opposed to the huge lead that would take place a few weeks later, concerning the President's MS." 

"Yes" 

"Doesn't this strike you at all as being odd?" 

"No." 

"So you've done this before?" 

"Yes. But usually, we never find the leak." 

"Ah... so this time you were lucky enough to have him reveal himself to you?" 

"Yes. And I don't understand the relevance of this line of questions!" 

"I'm circling back to it now, Mrs. McGarry. You've lied to the press over 15,000 times. Including about the President's health, correct?" 

CJ flinched. "I was not aware at the time that I was lying about his health."

And Mariah went in for the kill. 

"That's right, Mrs. McGarry, because you always ask, is there anything I need to know, not, is there anything I should know. Correct?" 

"Correct" muttered CJ as she willed the ground to just open up and swallow her. 

"No more questions at this time" smirked Mariah. 

CJ answered a few less insinuating questions from her lawyer, then was dismissed. 

She went back to her office in a daze, not even noticing that people were avoiding her in the corridors. Carol was staring at her when she stumbled up to her desk. "Messages," Carol said softly, handing CJ a wad of paper. 

"Thanks. No one comes into my office." 

She threw herself on the couch, glanced at the messages and rubbed her eyes wearily. Glancing at the clock she realized she had a briefing in about and hour and a half and had no idea what to expect. She sat at her desk and started to plow through the stack of wires that Carol had left for her. She made a few phone calls and generally tried to drown herself in her work. 

A while later a knock at the door broke through the silence of the room. 

"Carol, I said nobody gets in my office" she whined from her desk. 

"She's not at her desk" yelled the voice of Jed from the other side of the door. 

CJ jumped up, smoothed down her skirt and opened the door. 

"Mr. President, sorry about that. Come in, please" 

Jed came in. "I get the impression that you're trying to lock the world out," he commented dryly. 

"Well, yeah. Keep the problems out there for a while," she said lamely, opening up her mini-fridge. "Want something to drink, sir?" 

"No, thanks. CJ... you did good up there, you really did." 

"No, sir, I didn't. And I still have to set Rose up with that BITCH and a camera and have her testimony recorded. That's..." 

"No, CJ, you don't." 

"What?" 

"Leo made a phone call to the Justice Department, and based on a statement I made in the presence of several members of the Justice Department, her testimony has been struck from the schedule." 

"Sir, you didn't use executive privilege...." 

"I didn't do anything except to say that I never discussed my condition with Rose. Ever. Leo did everything else." 

"Oh." 

"He's gonna take another round of questioning on this, but..." 

"Thank you, sir... I..." 

"Claudia Jean, sit, take a deep breath, please." said Jed as he took her arm and steered her towards the couch. 

"I have a briefing to prepare for" whined CJ. 

"Just relax for a few minutes, the press corps won't go anywhere." 

"Unfortunately" she sighed. 

"Now are you getting enough rest, eating properly, taking your vitamins?" asked Jed. 

"Sir, are you channeling your wife again?" teased CJ. 

"Yes." 

"Yes, sir, I've been..." 

"Jed. Call me Jed. I'm not the President when I'm asking you if you've taken your vitamins, CJ." 

"Yes, Jed, I have been taking my vitamins. Rest is becoming a commodity now, and..." She sighed and rubbed her eyes with the heels of her hands. "Okay, I just feel like shit today." 

"Yeah, I understand that, but you've got to take care of yourself, kiddo." 

CJ broke out into a giggle. 

"What's so funny?" asked Jed. 

"Well, sir, Jed, not many people can call me kiddo and actually, well continue living" 

"Guess I should feel honored?" 

"Yeah" 

"So what are you and Leo doing this weekend?" 

"Catching up on our sleep, hopefully" 

"Come to New Hampshire with Abbey and I. She's dragging me there so I can catch up on my rest too" said Jed with a smile. 

"I don't know. Do you really want to spend the weekend with 2 kids running around" 

"Yes, I do." 

"You really wanna end up baby-sitting when I crash and burn?" 

"Sure!" 

CJ chuckled. "I'll ask Leo, but I'm sure he'll want to stay and get caught up on some of the work backlog." 

"I'll tell him it's an order." 

"Okay." She smiled. "It'll be nice to just see him, without the stress of the last few weeks strangling us to bits." 

"CJ, when was the last time you ate?" 

"Sir..." 

"No, we're not back to 'sir'ing, Claudia Jean." 

"I haven't been able to eat much of anything but soup and maybe a bagel in the morning, Jed. My stomach's been tied up into knots." 

"CJ, you have to eat, the baby needs food. You're what, almost 5 months pregnant? Now, I'm no expert but shouldn't you be, well, a little bigger by now?" 

"Yeah. My doctor wants me to put on a few pounds in the next few weeks. But I have no appetite...none" she sighed. 

"OK, I'll stop bugging you if you promise to try and eat something after the briefing" 

"I will, I promise. Now I don't mean to be rude Jed but I have a briefing and I'm sure you need to get back to running the country or something" she teased. 

"Yeah. I'll have Abbey call you and you two can make the arrangements for Friday." 

"OK. Thanks Jed, for everything" she said with a smile. 

"You're welcome" 

He patted her on the shoulder and left her to get ready for the briefing. 


	12. You Could Drive a Person Crazy 12

**You Could Drive a Person Crazy**

**by: Ginny and Becky**

**Pairing(s):** CJ/Leo  
**Category(s):** Alternate Universe  
**Rating:** MATURE  
**Disclaimer:** The usual, not mine etc.  
**Summary:** CJ and Leo, Alternate Universe  
**Feedback:** Feedback is appreciated.  


* * *

Part 12 

After the briefing, she went down to the Mess and got a bowl of soup and a sandwich. And proceeded to sit at a table and just stare at the food. 

"Hey CJ, I think you actually have to pick up the spoon in order to eat the soup" said Josh as he swung a chair around and straddled it. 

"Good God, did he send you down here to check and see if I was eating?" she whined. 

"Who?" asked Josh, clearly confused. 

"Never mind. What's up?" 

"Nothing I was just hungry. You gonna eat that sandwich?" 

"No, here" she said as she pushed the plate in front of him. 

"Thanks" he said as he turned the chair around and sat up to the table. 

CJ managed to get down the bowl of soup while Josh inhaled the turkey on rye. 

"That was good. Better than that salad Donna gave me for lunch" 

"Salad huh? Well, ya know she's just looking out for you. I think it's kind of sweet" mused CJ. 

"Sweet? I don't think so. One elevated blood pressure reading and she's the food police" groaned Josh. 

"How elevated, Joshua?" 

"Never mind, I'm fine. What about you?" 

"My blood pressure's fine" smirked CJ. 

"Maybe so, but you still look like, well crap" said Josh honestly. 

Part of CJ wanted to kick his shins under the table but she knew it was true, she did look like crap. 

"Yeah, I know," she agreed quietly. 

"Has Leo said anything about it?" 

"No." 

"He's blind, then. 'Cuz you look like you're gonna fall flat on your ass any time now." 

"Well, thank you for that observation, there, Josh." 

"Look, CJ, I'm just trying to help." 

"Well, if you really want to help, send a contract killer out after Mariah Campbell." 

"That's a nice thought, but I think we're in enough trouble as it is" moaned Josh. 

"Yeah" 

"Got any plans for the weekend?" 

"Je..The President invited us up to New Hampshire, for some forced relaxation" 

"Sounds, uh...nice" said Josh, trying not to laugh. A weekend with the trivia spouting leader of the country wasn't exactly his idea of fun. 

"Hope so. Look I gotta get some things done so I can get home to the kids. I'll see you later" 

She gave his shoulder a pat as she walked by. 

Twenty four hours later she was boarding Air Force One with Leo and the kids. 

Jed took Rose off into his private study to talk to her about rabbits -- she was going to be taking the class bunny home in two weeks, and she wanted to know how to take care of her. 

And Abbey took Pat off for a walk up and down the plane aisles, to give CJ and Leo some quiet time. 

Which they spent sleeping. 

They woke up just as the plane was descending into Manchester. The ride to the farm was short. Pat was asleep in the car seat and Rose was sleeping next to CJ. 

After getting the kids settled into their room the four gathered in the kitchen for tea, coffee cake and old fashioned gossip. 

But soon, CJ was falling asleep in her seat, so she kind of shook it off enough to say good night and trudge upstairs to the bedroom where she and Leo would be staying. 

"Leo, has she been to the doctor's recently?" Abbey asked. "I'm getting worried." 

"So am I," Jed added. 

"She's on vitamins and supplements, but they can't really do anything because she won't eat," Leo sighed. "About all she eats is a little bit of soup. She's gonna make the baby sick." 

"Well, I'll talk to her this weekend. And if things don't get better soon I will see if she'll let me talk to her doctor. Maybe we can figure something out. I want her to have some blood work done when we get back. I won't hesitate to put her in the hospital if I have to" said Abbey. 

Leo just nodded in agreement and sighed. Abbey excused herself to get ready for bed, leaving Jed and Leo to talk. 

Leo sighed and held his head in his hands. "I don't think we're gonna come through this, Jed. I really don't. Some other reporter ambushed Rose at school a few days ago. And CJ's sick. And I'm losing a grip on my sanity. Pat's the only one who's not screwed at the moment." 

Of course, on cue Pat starting crying from upstairs. 

"Go get him and bring him down. The three of us can do what men do" declared Jed. 

"You mean drink tea out of flowered cups and eat coffee cake?" smirked Leo as he slid off the stool and went up to get Pat. 

"Nah -- we'll go watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail," Jed said as Leo headed for the stairs. 

"Oh God...." Leo muttered. 

Jed was in the den when Leo came back down with Pat. He had checked on CJ who was sound asleep, as was Rose. 

Leo sat on the couch with Pat, who promptly climbed off Leo's lap and climbed up into the lap of his beloved Godfather. Leo just smiled as he watched Jed stroke Pat's hair and wrap him up in his blanket. 

The three of them settled down to watch the movie and the next thing they knew, Rose was jumping on the couch with them and the sun was streaming in the window. 

"Whatcha doin'?" Rose asked with a grin. 

"Uh.... whatimeisit?" Leo mumbled. 

"Almost eight. Mommy and Aunt Abbey told me to get you guys up 'cuz breakfast's ready." 

Jed was still snoring. 

"OK, let's let Uncle Jed sleep. Take Pat upstairs with you. I'll be up in a minute." 

"Come on Pat, Aunt Abbey's making pancakes" Rose said as she took her brother's hand." 

"ancakes, ancakes," Pat called as the went up the steps. 

Leo got up and attempted to stretch away some of the stiffness that he would have liked to have blamed on sleeping on the couch, but the truth was, the stiffness was with him every morning. And had been for a while now. He didn't mention it to CJ, she had enough problems of her own to worry about. 

He lumbered into the kitchen, where CJ was standing over the stove, stirring scrambled eggs and bacon, and where Abbey was flipping pancakes. 

"Hey, sleepyhead," CJ said, kissing Leo good morning. "I hear from Ron that you were doing as men do last night." 

"If I hear one more refrain from Mony Python, it'll be too soon," Leo groaned. "How can an educated man like Jed actually watch crap like that?"

"He picked up a taste for it when he was at the London School of Economics," Abbey said with a laugh. "But then, what do I expect from an uncultured illiterate who doesn't know who Charlie Brown and Lucy are." 

"Guess I deserved that one" admitted Leo. 

He went to the fridge to find some juice for the kids. He got them settled at the table with 'ancakes and eggs, as Pat called them. 

Leo took a plate of food from CJ and sat down at the counter to eat. He noticed CJ ate a little more than usual but figured that mentioning it probably wouldn't be a good idea. 

"I'm gonna go out and walk," CJ said after she'd finishe dpicking at her food. "You guys wanna come?" 

"WHAT'S GOING ON AND WHERE THE HELL IS MY COFFEE!" Jed rumbled from the living room. 

"Okay, that's your cue, CJ -- get outta here while you can," Abbey ordered with a grin. 

Jed stumble dinto the dining room. "I am Jed Bartlet -- where is my faithful servant Charlie, and where the hell are my coconuts?!" 

"Jed, how many times have I told you not to watch Monty Python right before bed?" Abbey scolded as CJ snuck out the front door. 

Rose just stared at Jed for a moment before speaking. 

"Uncle Jed, you're pretty weird" she said simply as she turned back to her breakfast. 

Leo, Jed and Abbey burst out laughing. They laughed until tears ran down their faces, something they hadn't done in months. 

Jed sat down to eat while Leo got the kids dressed and sent them outside to play on the swings, under the watchful eye of Ron. Leo showered and decided to go out and look for CJ. He didn't have to look very far, she was on the front porch swing. 

"Hey, babe," Leo said, standing in front of her. "Is this seat taken up by anything other than your long lovely legs?" 

"Nah -- wanna sit, Romeo?" 

"CJ, you are the sun!" 

"Oh, shut up and sit down," she giggled, patting the seat beside her. 

"How was your walk?" 

"Okay." 

"Sweetie?" 

"I'm a little dizzy, is all." 

"CJ... honey, you've got to eat. You're making yourself sick, babe." 

"I know. I just can't" she sighed. 

Leo reached over to pull her close. They stayed that way for while, until the kids noticed they were there. Rose and Pat ran across the lawn hand in hand. They climbed up on the swing with CJ and Leo. Together the four of them looked out over the property and took part in the time honored tradition of leaf peeping. 

CJ went inside to help Abbey make lunch, leaving Leo out on the porch swing with his kids, pointing out that that tree was an elm, and this one was an oak. 

"LEO!" 

The tone with which Abbey yelled made him leave the kids under the watchful supervision of a Secret Service agent and run inside, only to find CJ lying on the floor of the kitchen, unconscious. 

"She just kind of keeled over and passed out," Abbey murmured, wringing out a cool washcloth to put it on CJ's forehead. "She really needs to be in the hospital, Leo -- at least until she eats something." 

CJ started to come around as Leo, Jed and Abbey were discussing the best way to get CJ to the hospital without causing a mjor scene. That, of course, would mean Jed would ber staying behind and babysitting. Not that he minded at all. 

CJ feebly tried to protest a few times while they got ready to go but gave up pretty quickly when she realized she wasn't getting anywhere. 

"Claudia, listen to me," Leo finally said. "When was the last time you went to the doctor's? When was the last time you ate a decent meal? When was the last time you got anywhere near a human amount of sleep? Please, sweetie, just... just let them take care of you, since you won't do it yourself." 

The pleading worry in his eyes made her heart break. "Okay," she whispered, allowing him to lift her into his arms and carry her, albeit staggeringly, out to the waiting car. 

THe ride to the hospital was short and uneventful. The hospital was expecting them. CJ was taken immediately to a room. THe doctor came in to see them, taking his time to talk to them and examine her thoroughly. He motioned for Leo to step outside with him while the nurse came in to help CJ get changed, take some blood and start an IV. 

CJ lay on the bed, staring up at the ceiling when they let Leo come in and see her, finally. "I hate hospitals," she muttered. "They're so goddamn white and sterile and.... not lived-in. There's no comfort here."

"There's not s'posed to be comfort. This is where you come to get better, not party till dawn," he scolded with an amused smile, sitting beside her. "Have they said anything?" 

"What, besides the usual, YOU'RE ALMOST FIVE MONTHS PREGNANT?! ?" she asked, arching an eyebrow and staring up at a pattern on the ceiling tile directly above her that looked like Mary Marsh. 

"Yeah, besides that." 

"Uh, I need to eat more beets?" 

"CJ, please" whined Leo. 

"OK, I need to eat more, gain some weight and rest more. Where have I heard that before" she muttered full of sarcasm. 

"Honey, we've only been saying it because we love you and we care about you, and so help me GOD, if you don't eat something substantial in the next two days, I'm gonna force feed you beets!" 

"Well, thank you for making me sick to my stomach, there, Leo..." 

"Hey, beets are a good source of..." 

"A good source of what, Leo? Making me open a big ole can of whoop-ass on ya at Yorktown?" 

"Shut up." 

"No, really, Leo -- ya want me to open a can of whoop-ass on ya?" 

"Honey, if you tried, you'd blow over like a leaf in the wind," Leo sighed, smoothing her hair back with his hand gently. "I love you so much, and it kills me to see you like this. Please, try a little harder." 

"It's not gym class, Leo." 

"I bet you were good at gym." 

"Volleyball, Leo. I was good at volleyball." 

"I imagine you were" he said chuckling. 

CJ yawned a few times and rolled on her side. Leo patted her back gently until she fell asleep. 

She slept for a few hours. Abbey came over with her agent to keep Leo company. She assured him that the kids were fine and the Jed had managed not to throw his back out playing with them, yet. 

But, however, he was bound and determined to make it so that Pat could catch a ball by the time Leo got back. 

That made Leo laugh, which woke CJ up. "What's so funny?" she mumbled. 

"Jed's trying to teach Pat how to catch a ball." 

"He'll just drop it again," CJ mumbled, burying her face in the pillow. "I feel like shit." 

"Yeah," Leo whispered, stroking her back soothingly. "I know, I know..." 

She fell back to sleep. The doctor stuck his head in the door and motioned for Leo and Abbey to join his outside. He went on to explain the situation, which was what they expected. CJ was undernourished, slightly dehydrated, and her chances of having an underweight baby were growing by the day. They decided to see how she did with the nourishment she was getting from the IV before they took drastic measures and talked about a feeding tube. 

Leo took the news pretty well. It was all expected. He asked Abbey to keep an eye on CJ while he went to take a walk. And think. 

Surely this was just something that was happening, there couldn't be a corralation between it and... 

Leo sat down in the hallway and put his head in his hands. 

CJ, meanwhile, was trying to sleep, but Abbey kept pestering her and waking her up with questions about how she felt. 

Leo wandered the halls of the hospital, eventually ending up in the cafeteria. He was still pondering his earlier thoughts. Everything had to be related, the MS, the Grand Jury, and the one thought that Leo didn't want to think about, after Pat was born they had talked about not having any more kids. They had teased each other about taking care of the situation permanently but neither was willing to actually go through with the procedure. So CJ continued on the Pill and things were fine, until she got sick and the Pill failed. Leo couldn't help but wonder, deep down, did CJ not want another child? I was a thought he couldn't bear. Sure, the idea of a third child scared him to death, especially at his age. But he just couldn't see CJ doing something to intentionally hurt herself or the baby. Which led him to believe a psych consult would probaby be a good idea. 

When Leo finally got back to her room, CJ was sound asleep, and Abbey was dozing in the corner. Leo gently shook Abbey awake and led her out into the hallway. 

"I'm gonna get someone up here to give her a mental shakedown. I wanna make sure that this isn't about the MS or the Jury thing." 

"You think it is?" Abbey asked, her voice soft with pain. "Oh, Leo, we... we never meant for..." 

"Abbey, I don't think it is, really, but I want to make sure, okay?" 

"Okay. The head of the Psych Department is a friend of mine. Let me go see if she is around. I think maybe you should call Toby or Josh, just in case it leaks out that CJ is here." 

"God, I hadn't even thought about that. I'll try and get a hold of Josh" 

Abbey went to find the doctor while Leo ventured outside to use the cell phone. He got through to Josh and explained the situation and asked him to tell Sam and Toby. Of course, Leo expected that Donna would know within the next 10 minutes but that was fine with him. 

Donna could keep it quiet. Or broadcast it loud and clear to whomever she pleased. 

But he hoped she'd keep her lip buttoned just this once. 

Leo went back into the room to sit with CJ, who was still peacefully sleeping, still hooked up to her tubes and monitors and things. 

And he held her hand as she slept. 

Abbey came back a while later with the news that her friend would be in later that night to see CJ. SHe convinced Leo to go back to the farm and eat a late dinner with Jed and tuck the kids into bed. Rose had been asking all kinds of questions. She was pretty shaken up, especially since the last person she knew who was in the hospital was Desiree and she tended to associated hospitals with only death, not healing. 

"Sweetie, mommy's gonna be just fine," Leo assured Rose, cuddling her and kissing her on the cheek. "She's sick and she needs to rest and get better." 

"She's not gonna die, is she?" 

"No, absolutely not!" 

"Okay... can we see her?" 

"Maybe tomorrow, sweetie. Maybe tomorrow." 

After reading the kids a story and tucking them in to bed Jed and Leo sat down to a late dinner. Leo supposed the food was good but he ate without really tasting anything. He was staring out the sliding doors when Jed waved a hand in front of him. 

"Leo, Leo" 

Leo shook his head and turned his gaze towards his best friend. 

"Sorry" 

"Nothing to be sorry about. Now spill it, what's really going on in that head of yours?" asked Jed. 

"It sounds stupid." 

"Let me be the judge of that, Leo." 

"We'd talked about it, and decided no more kids after Pat. CJ had a really rough time with him, and... we just decided no more. And then, she got sick, the pill didn't work because her antibiotics neutralized it, and voila, baby! I'm wondering if she's not doing this subconsciously because she doesn't want another child." 

"Leo, you're right -- it sounds stupid." 

"Well, thank you for that, Mr. President." 

"Leo, it's Jed, and listen to me, and listen to me good -- CJ loves you and the kids, and she would never, EVER, do something like that. You know that." 

"I know she wouldn't consciously do anything but..." 

"Ah, I understand." 

"Yeah. Abbey called a Psych friend of hers. She is going to talk to CJ tonight. I should get back there." said Leo slowly rising from his chair. 

"Leo, you ok?" 

"I'm fine" said Leo, a little more gruffly than he had intended. He grabbed the car keys off the counter and headed out to the driveway. 

Jed watched him go, afraid for both of them in these troubled times. 

CJ was already chit chatting with the psych lady when Leo arrived. "Yeah, Pat's just a smart little guy," CJ was saying. "He's got this big brain, a big heart, and no ego whatsoever, which is a miracle, considering who his father is, and who his godfather is!" 

Leo chuckled aloud as he pushed open the door all they way. 

"Hey, hey watch what you say about the two most powerful men in the country" grinned Leo. 

"Leo, this is Kate Dwyer. Kate, this is my husband, Leo McGarry" 

Leo reached over to shake her hand. 

"Nice to meet you" he said, a little unsure of whether or not to sit down or leave the two of them alone to talk. 

"Leo, sit down," CJ said with a smile. "We were just talking about the kids." 

"Ah, yes," Leo said with a bit of a sigh. "They are a handful." 

"Oh, you only think that 'cuz you're such an old man," CJ teased with a grin, poking him in the shoulder. 

Kate watched as they teased each other. It was already very obvious to her how much they loved each other and the kids. 

"CJ just finished telling me about the kids. How about you tell me what's been going on with the family during the last few months." 

"You're kidding right? You do read the newspaper, don't you?" laughed Leo nervously. 

"Of course, I do. I just want to hear you talk about your life." 

The smile vanished from CJ's lips and she seemed to retreat within herself very quickly. 

"Well, the President, my best friend, told the world that he has MS, and we've been dealing with the fallout." 

"Uh-huh. CJ?" 

"What he said," was CJ's terse, clipped reply. 

*Bingo. I found the hot spot.* 

Kate took a deep breath and contemplated what to say next. 

"Leo, how close are you and CJ to the President and the Senior Staff?" 

"Extremely close, we're all like family" said Leo, completely confused. "They all adore the kids" 

"That's great. If you don't mind, could I speak to CJ alone for a few minutes" 

"Sure, I'll just go get some coffee or something mumbled Leo as he went out into the hallway, shaking his head. 


	13. You Could Drive a Person Crazy 13

**You Could Drive a Person Crazy**

**by: Ginny and Becky**

**Pairing(s):** CJ/Leo  
**Category(s):** Alternate Universe  
**Rating:** MATURE  
**Disclaimer:** The usual, not mine etc.  
**Summary:** CJ and Leo, Alternate Universe  
**Feedback:** Feedback is appreciated.  


* * *

Part 13 

"So you're close to them?" Kate asked when Leo'd left. "Tell me about them -- not like what we see on TV and stuff, but how they really are." 

CJ took a deep breath. "I don't want to. I don't..." She began to cry. "I can't." 

"Please" said Kate quietly. 

"OK. Well, they are great and I do love them dearly but sometimes I look and them and see..." 

"See what?" prodded Kate gently. 

"I see the life I used to have. Don't get me wrong, I love Leo and the kids and I love our life, but I look at them, all single and free to do...whatever." 

"Tell me about you and Leo, have you know each other for a long time?" 

CJ proceeded to tell her a short version of the past 8 or so years. She touched on the important events and ended the story with when she found out she was pregnant. 

"Wow, that's some pretty hefty stuff, and I could definitely understand it if you didn't want another baby..." 

"But I do want this baby! I love my children!" CJ protested. "But I feel so sick all the time right now." 

"I know, the doctor's giving you something to help with that. I'm going to go talk to Leo for a while. The nurse said you didn't eat much at dinner. Do you want Leo to bring you something when we're done?" 

"Yeah, I guess" 

"OK, I'll talk to you in the morning." 

CJ pulled the covers up around her ears. Kate shut off the light and went out in the hall to track down Leo. 

"Leo," Kate said, finding him out in the hall. "Let's go to the cafeteria and talk there, okay?" 

"Sure..." Leo said a little warily. 

Once they were seated with sandwiches and juice, Kate said, "I really don't think she's doing it on purpose. I really think she is feeling sick, and she's just repressed that feeling of illness to the point that it is actually making her worse." 

"So what do we do?" asked Leo. 

"Well, I know she's anxious to get out of here and back to DC. I don't think keeping her here is going to help the situation. So tomorrow afternoon she can leave here and go back with you and the kids to DC. I will be calling her doctor in the morning and filling her in on the situation. She's going to want to see her right away. She can prescribe something to help with the nausea. Hopefully that will allow CJ to eat on her own." 

"And if she doesn't?" asked Leo. 

"Then she'll have to be put back in the hospital and you discuss a feeding tube." 

"You mean, up her nose and down to her stomach" 

Kate nodded as Leo put his head in his hands. 

"Did CJ say anything about not wanting this baby?" he asked quietly. 

"Just the opposite" Kate assured him. 

"Oh, thank God," Leo whispered. "I... I don't know how to thank you, Kate." 

"How about a White House tour if I get down there?" she asked with a grin. 

"Oh yes, definitely." 

Leo, CJ and the kids arrived home late Sunday night. CJ was on strict orders from Jed not to show her face around the West Wing for a week. She agreed with only a small amount of whining. 

CJ saw the doctor on Monday. She did some additional blood work and sent CJ home with a prescription and a warning, if she didn't gain at least a 2 lbs. in the next week or so she was putting her in the hospital. 

So a week passed and CJ seemed to be doing a little better. She was really trying to eat. The medicine was helping a little. Jed and the entire senior staff sent Leo home with tempting foods every night in hopes that something would spark CJ's appetite. 

Finally, they hit on something. Chicken lo mein. CJ couldn't get enough of it! She was chowing down like a madwoman on it, and didn't want anything else, because this was what she was craving, and this was what was gonna sit on her stomach. 

And she slowly started to gain weight again. 

By the time her week was up, she'd gained a little over three pounds. 

She stopped by the West Wing with the good news. She found Leo in his office with the rest of the senior staff, having a meeting. She shared her news and stayed for the rest of the meeting. 

It was Monday and she was returning to work the next day with strict orders to eat and make time to rest in the afternoon. She was pretty sure she was going to have plenty of people looking after her and making sure she followed the doctor's orders. 

And then Abbey was called to testify, and CJ's stomach took a turn for the worse. 

She still ate, but it was less, and her stomach was tied up in knots. This was her friend out there, not some random stranger! 

She wanted to be there when Abbey was on the stand but Leo did something he seldom did, he outright forbid it. He did it with a great deal of fear but CJ backed down pretty quickly, much to the surprise of both of them. 

Abbey stopped by with the grisly details late every afternoon. She promised to share them all with CJ as long as she ate while Abbey talked. 

A few days later, Abbey was off the stand, and they prepared to call the President. 

And CJ stopped eating altogether. 

The day before the President was to be called to the stand he stopped by to see CJ in her office. He had heard from both Abbey and Leo that she hadn't been eating for a day or two. He knocked at her door with a cup of frozen yogurt in one hand and a bag of goldfish crackers in the other. 

CJ opened the door at tried to paste on an inviting face but was failing miserably. She just stood there, not really making a move to let him in. 

"Claudia Jean, please?" Jed whined. 

She sighed and stepped aside letting him enter the room. He dropped his offerings on her desk and dropped down wearily into her visitors seat, propping his feet on the corner of the desk. 

"Comfortable, sir?" she asked. 

"CJ are we back to 'sir-ing' again?" 

"No Jed, we're not. I don't mean to be rude but do you want something or did Leo send you to try and force feed me?" 

"Actually Abbey did but that wasn't the point of my coming over" 

"And your point was?" asked CJ with her eyebrows raised. 

"I want you to understand that it's nothing you can control. Whatever they ask me is whatever they ask me. I'm ready for this, and I won't let them do anymore harm to you or your family, Claudia Jean, I promise." 

"You can't promise that, Jed." 

"I can, and I will, CJ. Will you please eat something for me? Or I'll take you to the hospital myself." 

The look on Jed's face told her he was serious. Rather than have Jed drag her to the ER and have the wrath of Ron Butterfield upon her she reached for the crackers. 

Jed sat and watched as she ate. Finally she couldn't take his staring anymore and she tossed one at his head, hitting him right between the eyes. 

"Hey, watch it Claudia Jean, I'll get the Secret Service in here" teased Jed. 

"Well, stop staring at me" she laughed. 

"Fine, I will leave you alone and go, ya know, run the country." 

"OK, thanks for coming by. Good luck tomorrow. I'm sure I'll hear what happens but..." 

"I'll stop by and tell you myself" said Jed completing her thought. 

"Thanks" 

He stood up and tossed a stray cracker at her before ducking out into the hallway before she could retaliate. 

She chuckled to herself and opened the yogurt. She managed to eat about half of the that too. 

A month and a half later, the depositions had all been taken, and the Jury was out to decide if the President was to be impeached. CJ was doing much better, had even put on some weight, and she was definitely showing by then, which was a very good thing. However, there was still some worry about the baby being underweight. 

Pat was potty-training himself, with a little help from Rose. He didn't want Leo or CJ anywhere near him when he went potty, much to their amusement. 

Rose was getting more and more antsy, desirous of being able to run around and play like the "normal kids". 

The Christmas deadline that the doctor had given Rose was fast approaching. She was so eager to get back to gym class. Her limp was only noticeable to those who knew to look for it. She had worked so hard in therapy, making her parents very proud. 

On her last doctor visit before the holiday she was given the green light to resume "normal kid" activities. CJ and Leo took her out for dinner to celebrate. As dessert was served both Leo and CJ's pagers went off. The jury was back and the President's fate had been decided. They got the dessert wrapped up and sent the kids home with Michelle. 

The nervously walked the short distance from the restaurant to the White House, hand in hand through the snow that had just begun to fall. As the approached the door Leo stopped suddenly and pulled CJ towards him. 

"I just want you to know, that whatever happens in there, I love you very much and I am so proud of you" he whispered in her ear. 

"That goes both ways, ya know" smiled CJ. 

Leo kissed her on the cheek and gently patted her stomach. They each took a deep breath as Leo pulled the door open and they entered the building. 

When they reached the Residence, they found it crammed full with concerned members of the Senior Staff, and their assistants. The seas seemed to part for CJ and Leo, though, and they found open seats left vacant for them at the President's side. 

"Well, now that we're all here..." Jed began, waving a closed envelope in the air. "I suppose I can march merrily off to my doom!" 

There was tense laughter around the room. 

"But seriously, folks -- you all did good, you really did, and I'm going to take my poison if poison it should be, and if it's not my impeachment they're recommending, Monty Python and chili for everyone!" 

There was a collective groan as he pried open the envelope and read the paper inside. 

He handed it to Leo with a stony look on his face. 

Leo read it and couldn't fight back a whoop of surprised joy. 

He threw his arms around CJ and tossed the letter in Josh's direction. Josh read the letter aloud and the room erupted in pandemonium. 

Jed tried about 3 times to make a speech but wasn't having any luck. HIs voice just cracked with emotion and more tears fell. Finally Leo stepped in and suggested that he stop trying and start cooking. 

They had chili and celebrated with a Monty Python marathon -- every so often screaming out lines from the movie, then rewriting them, such as "A republican! Burn her!" 

And so on and so forth, thusly they did party. 

A little before dawn the party started to break up. Some folks just wandered to their offices, others went home to grab a quick shower. CJ was sent to her office with orders not to show her face until she had had 2 hours sleep. Leo, of course, just went to his office, changed into his spare set of clothes and got to work. 

CJ's morning briefing was about as chaotic as any she had ever done. It was like keeping a class of kindergarteners on a suger high in line. But she came through it with her usual flair. 

Leo watched her from the back of the room. Even with only two hours sleep she was positively glowing. She smiled more in those 45 minutes than Leo had seen her smile in the past few months. All the while she was taking questions she unconsciously keep one hand on her rapidly growing belly and one eye on Leo. 

"Yes, Danny." 

"Now that everything is back to normal..." 

"I wouldn't say it was ever normal to begin with Danny, but do continue." 

"Now that things are back to normal, do you know anything about a rumor going around that your daughter has been placed under Secret Service protection, and if she has, why?" 

The question caught her off guard. She glanced back towards Leo. He just smiled. 

"That was just a rumor. Rose was never under the protection of the Secret Service. It is true that she had been approached by members of the press who had gotten access to her at school" said CJ, not bothering to keep the venom out of her voice. "Her father and I discussed protection but we never followed through with it" 

"One more question" yelled Danny. 

"Oh, if you must" sighed CJ. 

"Was Rose subpoenaed to appear in front of the Grand Jury and if so, why didn't she?" 

CJ paled as Leo pushed his way to the podium to answer the question himself. 

"Danny, this is not coming from the Chief of Staff, okay? This is coming from her father. Rose was subpoenaed to appear before the court, however, upon the President's brief statement to the Justice Department, assuring that he never mentioned or discussed his condition with her or to her, the subpoena was retracted." 

"Who made that call to the Justice Department?" Danny asked. 

"The Chief of Staff." 

A sea of hands shot up around the room. Leo sighed deeply, his eyes caught the movement of someone walking towards him from his right side. The room grew silent for a few seconds as reporters scrambled to their feet. The silence didn't last long. 

Jed held up his hands to both quiet the crowd and get them to sit down. 

"I am saddened by the way the press is handling this," Jed began. "Rose McGarry was a child, and as such should not have been required to testify at all. I could not say that during the hearings, but now I can. Mariah Campbell was out for blood, on a witch-hunt, and I don't know what or who she expected to find by grilling a small child about something she knows nothing about." 

Much to Jed's surprise no hands shot up in the air, nobody yelled a question, nobody even moved. With a smile towards CJ and Leo, Jed walked out of the room. 

CJ answered a few more benign questions and left the room feeling good. 

She called Michelle and asked her to bring the kids over after school. 

They arrived at 3:00, Rose full of stories about the class Christmas Party and Pat eager to try out every bathroom in the West Wing. 

Pat ran into the Executive bathroom and played with the flush handle until it broke and water started streaming out of the bowl. Pat screamed and ran back into Uncle Jed's office and climbed up on his lap. 

Jed wasn't really paying attention just picked up Pat as he talked on the phone with Abbey. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a dark patch growing on the carpet from the direction of the bathroom. 

"Oh, Crap, sweetknees, I'll call you back" he said into the phone. 

He yelled for Charlie and Leo. Leo burst out laughing and took Pat from his arms. 

"Daddy, I bwoke the potty," Pat said, his lip trembling as he burst into tears. 

"Oh, it's okay, kiddo -- well, no, it's not okay that you broke the potty, but it's okay, 'cuz we can fix it!" 

"Well, we'd better fix it soon, 'cuz we already need to replace the carpet," Charlie said. 

Maintanence came up and fixed the toilet before the water spread to the seal on the carpet. Pat was banned from the bathrooms without adult supervision. 

The next few days were busy but CJ managed to sneak in some Christmas shopping and a few naps. She had a doctor's appointment on the 23rd. The doctor said she was doing great and that the baby had grown considerably in the last month or so and they were no long worried about him or her being too small. The doctor assumed she would deliver early as she had before but wasn't worried. CJ had 5 weeks left and was determined to work until the end. But as had been the case with both of her previous pregnancies, this little McGarry had other plans. Her water broke as they were coming out of midnight mass on Christmas Eve. 

"Oh hell," she muttered. "Leo, my legs are gonna freeze together here...." 

"What's going on?" Jed asked, coming up beside them. 

"My water just broke," CJ mumbled. 

Jed just laughed. "Claudia Jean do you think the next time you could just go into labor at home for a change." 

"Next time, Jed there is no next time, this is it" 

"Never say never" smirked Jed. 

"Well, let's just say that if this isn't the last time, my doctor will have some 'splaining to do" laughed CJ. "Leo, let's go. I want to stop by the house and pick up my bag" 

"Do we have time?" 

"We will if we stop gabbing out here" she said with a sigh. 

"Okay," Leo said, grabbing her and pulling her to the car. "Are you in any pain?" 

"Okay, what is it with labor that turns men into simpering idiots?" 

"Hey, I'm not an idiot" cried Leo as opened her door. "So are you?" 

"What, in pain? No, not at the moment but I assume sooner or later I will be" teased CJ as she tried to lighten the mood. She was determined to deliver this baby on her own and didn't need Leo wigging out on her. They stopped by the house, kissed the kids, left instructions with Michelle and headed for the hospital. 

By the time they arrived CJ's contractions had started, each one getting progressively stronger. 

During one of the contractions, CJ gritted her teeth and said, "Wow, this one just does not want to wait, eh?" 

"Apparently not," Leo replied. 

Four hours later and after only 45 minutes of pushing Arianna Marie McGarry made her way into the world with a lusty cry. She was small, just under 6 pounds but perfect. The nurse cleaned her up and handed her to her proud father. 

Leo kissed her cheek and held her up so CJ could get another look at her. 

"My beautiful little girl," CJ whispered, brushing a soft kiss over Arianna's forehead. "I'm sorry if I hurt you. but I've got your whole life to make up for it." Arianna stared up at her mother with what could be classified a confused, cross-eyed look, and she licked her lips and closed her eyes. 

"She's already tired," Leo commented. "Definitely didn't get enough of my genes..." 

CJ slapped him. 

"Owww" cried Leo as he returned the baby to the nurse so she could go to the nursery while CJ got settled in her room. 

An hour and a half later Jed appeared in the doorway of CJ's room, eager to get his hands on the newest McGarry. 

Three hours later Josh and Donna brought the kids by to meet their new sister, who was napping in the arms of the President. 

"She's really little," Rose said softly. "And she looks like you, Mommy." 

"Thank you, sweetheart," CJ chuckled from her bed. 

"It's a baby," Pat said with a healthy dosing of disgust. 

Pat was more than a little upset at the thought of leaving the pile of presents under the tree unopened. Josh assessed the situation and offered to take him down to the cafeteria for a donut. Donna decided to go with them and the trio made their way down the hall hand in hand. 

"You think they'll ever get a clue?" Jed asked no one in particular. 

"Someday" muttered Leo. 

"Want to give 'em a little push?" Jed asked. 

"Guys, give 'em a break," CJ said with a little laugh. "And give me a break, here -- I'm trying to get some rest." 

"Okay, we'll go, then," Leo said, coming over to kiss her. "Love you, beautiful." 

"Love you, too, Leo," she whispered. 

"Okay, lovebirds, time to break it up," Jed teased. 

Leo turned, took Rose by the hand and dragged the leader of the western world out into the hall by his ear. 

They met up with Pat and the two lovebirds in the cafeteria. Jed went back to the White House while Leo, Donna and Josh took the kids back to open their presents. 

Later that night Leo went back to the hospital. CJ was sleeping and Arianna was in the nursery getting a bath. He watched through the nursey window with tears in his eyes. The nurse motioned for him to come in. He got the baby dressed and pushed her bassinet done the hall to CJ's room. 

Arianna nursed while Leo described in great detail Christmas Day at the McGarry house. The kids, and Josh were crashing from a sugar high by the time he left for the hospital. Donna was doing her best to keep them under control without the help of Michelle who had been sent to celebrate the holiday with her own family. 

CJ laughed, and Leo handed her a small package. "This is from me," he said softly. 

"Well, Leo, I really don't think I can open it at the moment," CJ laughed, kissing him. "Why don't you open it for me?" 

He pried the wrapping paper off of it, and opened the lid of the box. 

Inside was a beautiful diamond brooch. "CJ, this isn't much, I know, it's not enough to tell you how much I really and truly love you. But I want you to have it. It was my grandmother's. She told me to give it to the one woman in my life that I would never replace. It's yours. I love you so much, CJ, and I'm so proud of what we've built together, even if it started off on shaky footing there." 

CJ smiled up at him, tears in her eyes. "You old romantic softie," she giggled, nestling up against him. 

THE END 


End file.
